Let Them Gather
by silver drip
Summary: Edward fell in love with Bella, but she wasn't just an ordinary human. Of course, she didn't know that until sometime after he left her and never returned. See what happens when two fates collide for a second time. Read and review. Complete!
1. Prologue: UPS Sends the Oddest Things

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

**Alright I normally don't do this but I am posting one of my in between stories. It is a story I write when I am feeling a little bored with my main story that I post here or when I am waiting for my Beta to edit.**

Prologue: UPS Sends the Oddest Things

September 15, 2081

A UPS man walked up the Cullen's driveway.

Alice was the first one to hear his shoes crunch on the asphalt. She waited impatiently as he walked at a human pace to the front porch.

Alice shifted from foot to foot hoping that it was the new stilettos she had order two days ago. The UPS man rang the door bell and Alice counted to ten in her head before opening the door.

She frowned. She had been expecting the package to be the size of a shoe box but instead it was thin and rectangular, about the size of a large cutting board.

The UPS man handed her a pen and she signed for the package. It was addressed to the whole Cullen's family, but didn't have a return address. Alice put it in Carlisle's office before returning to her room to clean some of her old things.

Soon after Carlisle drove home from the local hospital in his black Mercedes.

"Carlisle, a package is in your office." Alice said from upstairs as he entered the house.

"Thank you, Alice." Carlisle walked upstairs and into his office. He pushed aside the package and started on his paper work from the hospital. Edward walked in a few minutes later.

"You back from the hospital already?" Edward asked while looking through the bookshelf for something to distract himself.

"Yes, Dr. Kiev and I switched shifts so he could go to his daughter's birthday party." Carlisle said as he finished up his paper work and picked up the package. "Did you order anything?"

"No, is it addressed to me?" Edward didn't even turn around while answering.

"No, it's to the family." It was rare for the Cullens to get a package that was addressed to Alice and Rosalie, let alone to the whole family.

Edward pulled the package from Carlisle and opened it. Not a second later he dropped it to the ground as if it burned him.

Carlisle smelled a mixture of paint and dried blood as it flew through the air and hit the ground loudly. It landed face down so that all that could be seen was the back of a golden picture frame.

"What the hell?" Edward said breathlessly and fell onto the floor beside the picture frame.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Carlisle asked while standing from his desk.

He didn't answer, but instead lifted the picture frame from the ground and stared at the picture within.

Carlisle walked behind Edward to see the picture and gasped.

It was a painting of Edward's only love and soul mate, Isabella Swan.

They hadn't seen a picture or spoken of Bella since Edward left her behind in Forks some seventy six years ago.

Two year after the Cullen family left Bella behind in Forks they returned on not so happy circumstances.

In the painting Bella was wearing a dark maroon dress that complamented her figure. It had a plunging neckline that the Bella of Edward's memories would never wear.

The painting was simple yet elegant.

Bella was sitting on a black velvet couch with golden pillows. The room surrounding her had pillows of all sizes on the floor. A bloodied knife was lodged into the couch beside Bella.

Her face was mellow as she seemed to finger a necklace that was draped around her neck. The pendent was an engraved crystal that said: _Two Sins Twisted into One_. The engraving was so small Edward and Carlisle had to squint to read it.

On the bottom of the solid gold frame read the words: _Our Divine Patron_.

"Look at this, Edward." Carlisle pointed to the bottom right corner. "Someone with the initials W.V. painted this in 2081. It was painted this year."

Edward ran his finger over the painting, lingering on Bella's face. He leaned in as if to kiss the painting and sniffed it. The painting smelled faintly of blood.

"The paint is mixed with her blood." Edward said in a monotone voice. "Bella's fresh blood." His eyes showed both dread and hope.

**Review and yes I am still writing A Missed Year. Picture of necklace on my profile.**

**Edited (11-29-09)**


	2. Room Ninety Six Has a Pillow in it

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

Chapter 1: Room Ninety Six Has a Pillow in it

September 15, 2006 (75 years before prologue)

Bella took a long drag from her cigarette. She exhaled slowly enjoying the sensation of the smoke caressing her pale skin. It always felt like butterfly wings to her.

Charlie had just dropped her off at college after various threats of kicking her out of the house and letting her rot in some ditch on the side of the road if she didn't go.

She would rather rot in some ditch than interact with people who would try to talk and ask her about her problems.

It was worse then her support group back in Seattle.

Good thing that she had learned to act over the past year.

It had been a whole year since Edward had left. She could say his name again without dropping to the ground clutching her torso in pain.

Since then only three things had really changed. She had started smoking, she had given up all her friend when she went to college, and she had accepted her life as it is. She would roll with the punches.

Bella was starting fresh in a new state with new people. She knew she would use these people to fill the void in her heart and soul. But she didn't feel sympathy for the people she was going to use. It's not like she was hurting them. They would never know that their friendship was unrequited.

Maybe they would do more then just fill the space. Maybe they would make her forget her past memories with their new ones. She hoped at least, but knew deep inside that, that would never happen.

She dropped the cigarette into a puddle and listened to it sizzle before being snuffed out by the murky water.

Her two bags weren't too heavy as she trudged up the stairs to her new dorm room.

Room ninety six's door was already open when Bella finally conquered the stairs. They would be a bitch to scale everyday.

She put on a fake smile as she entered the room.

Her new roommate was already inside unpacking. Bella dropped her bags loudly, making her presence known.

A blond girl fell backwards, onto her butt.

"Oh, hey." She waved. "My name is Erika Darling. You must my new rommie Isabella Swan." Bella's smile faltered for a mere second. Erika was as beautiful as a vampire. It brought Bella unwanted memories. The smile was quickly replaced before she responded.

"Yup, please call me Bella though, Isabella is too formal." She helped Erika up. "What is your major?"

"Mythology and I'm subbing in anthropology. What about you?"

"I don't have one. I'm probable just going to choose my easiest class to major in." Erika gave her a strange look before they both started unpacking.

"What are you planning on doing after college?" Erika asked out of the blue.

"I don't know, I have no plans for the future. Maybe I'll marry into a rich family or just work in a McDonalds." Bella gave her an aloof grin. "What ever comes first. Hell, maybe even both. You never know how things are going to turn out." Bella said the last line too quietly for Erika to hear.

"Wow, you really don't have any life aspirations do you?" The room was silent for at least two minutes before Bella answered.

"No, not really, I'm only here because Charlie, my dad, threatened me into this. If it were up to me I would have just taken whatever job I was offered first and worked until I died. But now I have to go through another version of high school. How boring is that?" Before she could answer there was a knock on the door.

"Oh that's probable Will." She jumped over their combined bags and opened the door. A man in his early twenties with black hair and playful brown eyes walked in. He gave Erika a deep kiss while grabbing her by the ass. She pulled away only after she remembered Bella was in the room. "Will, my new roommate is here." Erika had a slight blush on her face. Bella once blushed like that long ago.

Will spotted Erika's new roommate. He liked the look of her. She looked strong yet elegant with a hint of a wild hard core sex machine beneath her exterior. He put on his sexiest smirk.

Bella watched as he strutted over. She'd seen better.

"Hello, I'm Wilfred Vine." He leaned down and kissed Bella's hand. "And what name could possible be good enough for such a gorgeous woman as yourself?" He kept hold of Bella's hand.

She could smell his cologne from the distance she was at. It was too much cologne and it made her gag. Bella pulled her hand out of his.

"First off, don't ever touch me again or I'll damage that pretty little face of yours, second my name is Bella, and third what kind of idiotic guy flirts with his girlfriend's roommate especially when said girlfriend is in the room?" He was stunned by her little out burst.

"You think I'm pretty?" He asked and Bella pushed him with her foot so that he tripped over all the luggage on the floor and landed on his rear. Erika started laughing like crazy.

"He's not my boyfriend, Bella; Just a close friend." She was still chuckling until Will spoke.

"Yeah we are so close we sometimes sleep in the same bed." Bella threw a pillow at him which landed squarely on his face.

"Why aren't you just a little gentleman, and what type of name is Wilfred? Wasn't that Batman's butler or something?" Will stood from the floor when she said this. He picked up the pillow and tossed it full force at Bella. She caught it easily with one hand.

"No, that wasn't Batman's butler's name. You're thinking of Alfred." He mumbled. "Now can we get back our original discussion?" Bella smiled. Will was struck. This was the first time since he walked into the room that she had smiled. If he thought she was beautiful when she was frowning then she was an angle when she smiled.

"And what was our original discussion?" Bella asked as she threw the pillow at him again. It hit it's mark, again.

Will came out of his daze when the soft light blue pillow hit him. He went back to his usual self.

"You said I was pretty." Erika started laughing again and Bella's smile slid off her face, replaced with its standard scowl.

Will took an unconscious step backwards, almost tripping again.

"I lied." Bella laughed to herself at the look on his face.

"Fine! I've been beaten, bruised, and had my balls nearly cut off! I am retreating to fight another day, but I will be back for you oh lovely maiden Bella." He bent down and kissed Bella's hand again before she could stop him.

"Bastard." She said under her breath as he made a dramatic exit.

"Yeah, he is an idiot, but pretty entertaining." Erika picked up the pillow off the floor. When she stood up Bella spotted a ring on her left middle finger.

"Nice ring. Can I see it?" Erika hesitated and looked a bit nervous but still handed the ring to Bella.

"It's nothing special just my sixteenth birthday present from my parents." Bella didn't notice the angst in her voice. She was looking at the crystal that was securely embedded in the silver ring.

Her thumb brushed the inside of the ring. It was slightly rough. She flipped the ring and saw a small engraving on the inside of the band.

_Two Sins Twisted into One_. It read.

Bella glanced over it again before she handed it back to Erika without a word.

**Check out my other story A Missed Year.** **Review please.**

**Edited (11-30-09)**


	3. Hello Professor

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

Chapter 2: Hello Professor

September 22, 2006

_Meditate. Retreat into your mind. Breath. Stop thinking. _Bella thought to herself as she sat under a tree in the middle of campus at five in the morning with a lit cigarette dangling from her lips. A few of the embers fell onto her pants and burned through the jean material. She didn't feel it singe her skin.

Bella was totally thoughtless and unmoving. In the early morning light she could have been passed by without notice or mistaken for a statue. Her state of mind only lasted a few minutes before a thought seeped in.

_Edward. . ._

"Fuck!" She shouted, scaring a passing jogger. The cigarette fell from her mouth and once again burned through her jeans. This time she felt it. "Double fuck!" She picked the cigarette up and put it back in its proper place between her lips.

She breathed in the smoke deeply trying to stop thinking. Eventually she gave up and started heading back to her dorm room.

Today would be the first day of classes since Charlie dropped Bella off at the collage a week early.

Bella threw her lit cigarette at a passerby as she neared her dorms. "What the hell?" The man yelled, but Bella completely ignored him and kept walking.

"Morning Bella." Erika said as she walked out of the bathroom. Bella gave her half a smile and a wave then started pulling together all of her supplies for class.

Over the last week Bella and Erika had grown close. Bella actually considered her somewhat a friend. Erika on the other hand had considered Bella a friend the second she walked through the door.

"What class do you have this morning?" Bella pulled her backpack onto the bed before responding to Erika.

"Science in the north wing, room 203." Bella said from memory.

"Oh, I have that class in the afternoon. Will's uncle teaches it." She paused. "I met him when I was still in high school. He really taught me a few things." Erika blushed when she muttered the last part. Bella gave her a sideways glance wondering what she meant, but after a minute dropped it.

After a warm shower Bella headed for her first class of the morning.

There were already a few students in the classroom but no teacher. Bella sat down in the second row and started unpacking.

Soon enough all the seats were filled except for the teacher's.

Bella and many of the other students grew restless after fifteen minutes of waiting.

"Sorry I'm late." A man who Bella assumed was Professor Vine entered the room. He had the same black hair as Will but he looked more mature. Maybe twenty-nine or twenty-eight, Bella guessed. "I had business to attend to." He set down his briefcase and looked around the classroom.

His eyes landed on Bella and he laughed to himself causing Bella to raise an eyebrow in both skepticism and annoyance. He looked away and shook his head happily.

"What's up with him?" One of the students in the back row said but only a few people around him heard.

"Alright, I'm Professor Vine and I will be teaching . . ." Bella settled in for the long speech that every teacher gave on the first day. She absentmindedly rolled her pencil back and forth closing her eyes and letting his voice become background noise.

Bella jerked out of her stupor and opened her eyes when she noticed that the background noise had ceased. The classroom was vacated except for Professor Vine who was sitting at his desk writing.

"You know you are the first student to sleep through my class on the first day." He said without looking up from his papers.

"I wasn't sleeping. I just wasn't listening." Bella packed up the few things that she had taken out and headed for the door before Professor Vine's voice called her back. "What?" She asked annoyed.

"Aren't you even going to apologize? Most students would whine and say 'I'm sorry. It will never happen again Professor Vine. Blah blah blah.'" Professor Vine said the last part in a high pitched voice. "But instead you just leave." Bella shrugged and turned back towards the door. "I'm assuming you are Isabella Swan since you were the only person who didn't answer during roll call."

"Yeah it's Bella Swan and now that I think about it why the hell were you laughing at me earlier?" Her face flushed slightly with anger.

"I was thinking about how fun it will be watching you flunk my class." He looked amused.

"This class? Are you serious? Science is my best subject." Bella said with a confident smirk. "There is no way I could flunk."

"Oh you will fail this class. I'll make sure of it."

"And why do you want me to fail?" Bella asked but he didn't answer. "Why me anyway? I haven't done anything to you. Why aren't you doing this to any of the other students?" He was still silent. "Answer me damn it!"

"I'm failing you because I want you to fail." He said with a sneer as he stood up. "Now I think it is time for you to leave and I want a twenty page essay on the importance of the mitochondria by Monday." Bella glared at him before swiftly exciting.

She had planned on just gliding through this class with a C, but now that she had a challenge she was going to actually try to pass.

* * *

"I can't believe he would do that." Erika said as she spread hot sauce on her taco.

"I know, he was such an ass." Bella said while reading her textbook. Erika munched on her second taco while looking out the window at the Taco Bell parking lot.

"He has to have a reason." A silence followed Erika's statement. Understanding ran across Erika's face but before Bella could see it the expression was replaced by worry.

Bella took a swig of her coke. A loud beep went off startling both of them. Bella pulled out her newly purchased cell phone that Charlie had bought her to keep in touch.

She didn't recognize the number on the text message but she read it anyways.

**Hello fair maiden. **

Bella texted back.

**Who is this and how did you get my number?**

"You don't remember your knight in shining armor?" Came the voice of Will as he walked from the other side of Taco Bell and sat across from Bella in the little booth.

"How did you get my number?" Bella asked annoyed.

"It was in Erika's address book." Erika finally looked away from the parking lot to look at Will.

"Who said you could go through my address book?"

"You left your purse in my room and I was bored." He shrugged. "So Bella how has life been treating you?" Will leaned across the table focusing only on Bella.

"It was better before you got here." Will couldn't tell if she was teasing or not but when she started laughing he joined in.

"Hello Professor Vine." Erika said nervously making Bella's and Will's laughter stop abruptly.

"Hello Professor." Bella said with fake happiness. He didn't even acknowledge her.

"Uncle Warren, what are you doing here?" Will's voice went up a few octaves when he saw the glare Professor Vine was giving him.

Bella laughed under her breath while Erika looked down at the table motionless.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Wilfred?" Bella's laughter became a little louder when Professor Vine used Will's full name.

"Sure go ahead." Will said and smiled apprehensively.

"Alone." They sat at a table near the bathrooms. Bella and Erika couldn't hear what they were saying but they could tell that whatever Professor Vine was telling Will was not what he wanted to hear.

Bella looked over at Erika who had gone back to eating. "So what was that about?"

Erika chewed her food longer then needed before answering. "Family business I guess."

**Next chapter will be Professor Vine point of view for this day. So you will get to see what they were talking about.**

**Review please.**

**Edited (11-30-09)**


	4. Hello Student

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this odd story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

**Important details in case you forgot. Wilfred (AKA Will) is Erika's friend (hinted with benefits) Erika is Bella's new roommate. Professor Vine is Bella's jerk of a science teacher and Wilfred's uncle. I know I forget OC so I just thought I would help you all out just incase you do too.**

Chapter 3: Hello Student

September 22, 2006

Professor Warren E. Vine started out this particular morning the same way he did any other day, with a cup of scolding hot coffee and two sunnyside up eggs.

As he sipped the lava hot liquid enjoying the burning sensation that ran down his throat and reading the daily paper, he was completely unaware of how today would be quite unique. Of course, how could he know, no one knows what the future holds.

Professor Vine added another sugar to his coffee before taking another sip and sighing absentmindedly.

There were only a few things in the world that he enjoyed more then this time of the morning, and one of those was being home. But instead of enjoying the pleasures of a familiar place with familiar people that he loved he was forced to watch over his older brother's spoiled son like some babysitter.

He put his paper down if frustration when he couldn't concentrate on the crossword puzzle in front of him. He was just too angry at his nephew and brother.

At least he had Erika here to entertain Wilfred and make sure he didn't do anything too stupid or reckless.

Erika had been doing a stupendous job so far, or at least, that was what the reports had told him.

Professor Vine checked his old fashion silver pocket watch for the time. His eyes flitted over the engraving, _Two Sins Twisted into One_, before they landed on the clock. He needed to leave if he was going to make it to the board meeting on time.

After quickly downing his coffee and eggs he grabbed his brief case and was walking towards the administrations building.

He didn't mind the long walk; it was the scenery that he didn't like. The steely modern looking school buildings with random patches of foliage contradicted with his taste. He liked things classical.

Joggers ran by him every so often giving him something new to look at. He took note of Erika's room light being on as it came in to view.

_Wilfred must be visiting. . . _Professor Vine thought to himself with a chuckle.

"What the hell?" He shouted out all of a sudden as he felt his hand being burned. Out of the blue someone had thrown a cigarette at him. He ground his teeth together in anger and extinguished it with his glossy black shoe.

_Damn smokers_

Professor Vine soon arrived at his destination. Most of the other teachers and the dean were already seated.

"-Oh and here is the man of the hour, Professor Vine our new teacher from New York." Dean Smith announced. The other teachers acknowledged him politely.

Just as Professor Vine exited from the useless half an hour long meeting his phone's slow ring tone went off.

Casually he pulled out the phone and checked the caller ID. He was tempted to push the 'ignore call' button, it was his brother, but instead his thumb pressed the 'receive' button.

"What do you want, Trent?" He asked in one breath not really caring about what his brother had to say. A few of the teachers that were walking by gave him an odd look.

"We have a problem." Professor Vine was immediately on alert. His casual posture turned into one of complete attentiveness.

"What happened?"

"It's not what's happened, it's what's going to happen if you keep not doing your job!" He had heard this speech before, but never with so much anger behind it. "I was talking to Trina-"

"How is my favorite niece?" Professor Vine interrupted him trying to ease the tension, it didn't work.

"Trina's fine. As I was saying, I was talking to Trina last night and she said that Wilfred called her and told her that he had a crush on some one outside of the order. This is unacceptable. I sent you with him to make sure nothing like this happened." Professor Vine started pacing.

"Erika didn't say anything in her reports, are you sure that there is someone else?" Trent grunted on the other side of the line.

"Yes, I'm sure. Erika probable didn't notice a change in his behavior because according to Trina, the girl Wilfred likes is Erika's new roommate." Professor Vine's pacing stopped for a second as he thought about this.

"I thought we made sure that Erika didn't have a roommate so that Wilfred could easily come and go without notice?"

"She was getting lonely in the room by herself. I approved of her to get a roommate." Trent sounded regretful.

"Do you know her name?" Professor Vine asked as he started his pacing again.

"I can't remember her first name. I think it was Italian, but her last name is Swan. I need you to make sure she gets kicked out of the college. We don't want Wilfred to break any rules. . ." His words trailed off slowly as he thought about all the rules he had wanted to break when he was that age.

"It must be hard being next in line for him. I remember when you were. I was out partying every night while you were cooped up at home underground where you couldn't see any outsiders just waiting." Trent laughed sadly.

"Well that's was my job, waiting. Now it's Wilfred's. I don't want it to be as boring for him as it was for me. At least he can do something when he is at college rather then all the nothing that he would be doing if he was here." Professor Vine agreed begrudgingly.

"To tell you the truth I always thought that it would be me to find the one that saves us. I guess I wasn't meant to find them." Trent said the last part dejectedly.

"Keep your hopes up, you're not dead yet. Wilfred might be the lucky one to find them. It's all about time."

"I know, everything seems to be about time."

"You're so negative, think positive. I'll look for the girl in the dorm directory. Don't worry she will be gone soon enough." Professor Vine clicked his phone shut gently and went looking for a directory. When he finally did find one in a phone booth it was outdated and had pages ripped out. Next, he went back to the administrations office and looked through the student records.

There was only one girl in the records that had an Italian first name and Swan as the last. Isabella Swan, a freshman from Washington State. Perfect grades until her senior year where they suddenly plummeted along with her attendance rate. Professor Vine read her whole file. When he finished reading it he smiled. It didn't seem like it would be hard to get her kicked out.

There was only one problem, how was he supposed to find her. It's not like he could just go barging into Erika's room.

He glanced down at her file again and put it in his brief case. He would have to figure it out later. Class had already started and he was at least fifteen maybe twenty minutes late.

Running the mile long distance between the administration's office and his classroom was an easy task for Professor Vine that only took him six minutes and forty-five seconds.

With one quick glance around the classroom he could tell that all his new students were impatient. "Sorry I'm late. I had business to attend to."

He sat his brief case on his desk carelessly. This time instead of just glancing at the students he took in their faces. Halfway through the second row he stopped.

_I guess finding her won't be as hard as I thought. . . _

He laughed at his own thoughts. One of the students in the background said something, but he couldn't hear him from the distance he was at.

"Alright, I'm Professor Vine and I will be teaching. . ." Halfway through the first line of his rehearsed speech Isabella Swan closed her eyes. Professor Vine couldn't fight the smile that kept creeping onto his face. This was almost too easy.

He had to cut his speech short when class ended. Isabella was still sleeping on her desk. He let her continue sleeping. Hopefully she was missing one of her classes.

After a while she finally woke up. "You know you are the first student to sleep through my class on the first day." Professor Vine said while looking at her file for the third time.

"I wasn't sleeping. I just wasn't listening." She turned toward the door ungracefully.

"Come back here." She didn't turn around at first as if she was actually thinking of not doing it.

"What?"

"Aren't you even going to apologize? Most students would whine and say 'I'm sorry. It will never happen again Professor Vine. Blah blah blah.'" Professor Vine said trying to copy the voice a student he once had. "But instead you just leave." Isabella shrugged and turned back towards the door. He needed to make sure that this was the same person as the one he had to get kicked out. "I'm assuming you are Isabella Swan since you were the only person who didn't answer during roll call."

"Yeah it's Bella Swan and now that I think about it why the hell were you laughing at me earlier?" Professor Vine debated on what he should tell her.

"I was thinking about how fun it will be watching you flunk my class." He could see the anger in her eyes.

The rage suddenly diminished and was replaced by a smile. "This class? Are you serious? Science is my best subject." Her smirk widened. "There is no way I could flunk."

"Oh you will fail this class. I'll make sure of it." Professor Vine had already started planning.

"And why do you want me to fail?" Bella asked but Professor Vine bit his tongue, not answering. "Why me anyway? I haven't done anything to you. Why aren't you doing this to any of the other students?" He was still silent. "Answer me damn it!"

"I'm failing you because I want you to fail." Bella blanched at his tone of voice. "Now I think it is time for you to leave and I want a twenty page essay on the importance of the mitochondria by Monday." He watched her leave. She looked pissed.

After two more classes he was back at his house looking through his fridge. It was practically empty except for a bottle of mustard, eggs, and creamer.

He closed his fridge irritated. This would of never of happened if he was home.

Grabbing his car keys and getting in his car Professor Vine headed to the one fast food place on campus, Taco bell.

He pulled his car into the parking lot. It was packed with college students who were all too lazy to cook their own food, same as him. None of them recognized him since he was a new teacher.

On his way out after getting his order of tacos he saw his nephew in his peripheral vision. Wilfred was walking towards Erika and that girl, Bella.

Professor Vine watched as they talked for a minute before approaching them.

Erika was the first one to spot him. "Hello Professor Vine." The other two snapped their heads around to see him.

"Hello Professor." Everyone could hear the mockery in Bella's voice.

"Uncle Warren, what are you doing here?" Professor Vine stared down at Wilfred. Bella laughed.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Wilfred?" The laughter grew louder.

"Sure go ahead." Wilfred said weakly.

"Alone." He followed Professor Vine to a table by the bathrooms. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Wilfred asked although he already knew what he was talking about.

"That girl over there, you are obviously trying to get into her pants." Professor Vine said matter of factly.

"No I'm not! She's nice but she's nothing new." Wilfred said with fake conviction.

"Then why did you call home to your little sister to talk about her?" Professor Vine knew he had him cornered.

"You bugged my phone?" A couple at another table turned to glare at them.

"No, your sister told us. Everyone back home wants to keep the line going. We can't have you getting some random girl outside of our society pregnant."

"I know, I know. It's just-" He was cut off.

"It's just nothing! You will not see her again. You being here is not a privilege. If it were up to me you would still be home where you belong." Professor Vine sighed inwardly. He hated lecturing Wilfred. "Look, I know you want to live like a normal person but things aren't going to work out that way. Your life is set. When we find the person that can change everything for us then you'll be free to do what you want. But until then stay away from that girl."

**Exams blow. . .**

**Edited on (12-8-09)**


	5. Halloween is for Gits!

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

Chapter 4: Halloween is for Gits!

October 21, 2006

Bella held the small cellular device at arms length. Normally the ringing of her cell phone would bring a minute amount of happiness to her, but it was the caller on the other end of the line that made her cringe away.

"Pick it up." Erika said while looking at her from the bed on the opposite side of the wall. She laughed at the look on her roommate's face.

"Hell no." Bella said and shoved her cell phone beneath her pillow. Erika jumped off her bed and landed on Bella's.

"Who called?" Erika asked playfully thinking that it was Bella's secret boyfriend. Bella buried herself in her bed.

"No one of importance." Bella mumbled into her pillow groggily. It had been another hard night of writing papers for Professor Vine and other classes; Mostly for Professor Vine.

Erika pushed Bella off the bed and grabbed the cell phone from under the pillow. "It's obviously someone important if you don't want to answer it." She said while looking down at Bella and holding the cell phone up in the air triumphantly.

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's not like I was trying to keep it away from you. It just wasn't important." Erika ignored her and looked at the missed calls on Bella's phone.

"One missed call from . . . Dad. Why wouldn't you want to talk to your dad?" Erika's blond side reared its head again.

"Last time we had a real conversation I some how ended up being in this place." Bella looked around at the dorm room with disdain.

"Do you really hate being here with me that much?" Erika's eyes started to water.

"No, of course not, you are one of the few sunny parts of my day." Bella said half lying. Erika smiled and handed Bella her phone.

"He left a message." Bella nodded and typed in her code.

"Bella this is your father. I'll make this simple. I found cigarettes in your old backpack. Do you understand how unhealthy they are for a young lady your age? I've dealt with a lot of outrageous things this past year and some odd months, but this is unacceptable! I'm cutting off your funds. Don't try getting any money from Renee either, I told her about the cigarettes and she agreed with my decision. Bye Bella. I love you. I just hope that you start making better choices in your life." The line went dead and the cell phone slipped out of Bella's hand.

"What's wrong?" Erika asked. She had been watching Bella and had seen all the different facial expressions she went through.

"That bastard!" Bella shouted startling Erika. For half a second Bella considered throwing her cell phone across the room, but thought better of it. She took a few calming breaths before answering Erika. "I need a job."

"What, why?" Bella huffed.

"He found some old smokes in one of my backpacks or something so he's not sending me money anymore."

"That sucks." Erika said quietly.

"Yup." Bella grabbed her backpack.

"You going to class?" Erika asked knowingly. Bella nodded and walked out the door mumbling to herself about finding a new job.

After Bella left Erika went over to her desk and pulled out a plain looking notebook. Flipping through the pages she opened one labeled October 21, 2006 and wrote:

_Bella's funds cut off. She is going to find a job soon. The stress from all your assignments isn't getting to her. You might need to change your strategy. Wilfred only comes over when I'm alone. He has been avoiding Bella. _

Erika signed her name elegantly at the end. She hated writing reports on Bella, but it was necessary.

* * *

Bella strolled into Professor Vine's classroom ten minutes early and sat at her desk reading a book from the library.

Professor Vine looked at her wearily. He hadn't expected her to last this long. He had given her three times the work load then any other student yet she had time to sit around and read.

It infuriated him.

Of course Professor Vine didn't know that she had absolutely no time to read and just did it to annoy him.

"Bella?" Professor Vine asked. Bella held up one finger keeping her eyes on the book telling him to wait. Slowly, she lowered her hand and marked her page.

"Yes, Professor Vine?" Bella asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Did you finish the assignment I gave you yesterday?" He asked hoping that she had forgotten to do it. Bella smiled and Professor Vine groaned.

"Of course I did it. Why wouldn't I?" Professor Vine could see how funny she thought it was so he said nothing in reply and just took the paper. By the end of the class Bella had three new ones.

* * *

Erika shuffled through a library of DVDs and video tapes. "What do you want to watch tonight?" She asked Bella.

Bella didn't answer at first. She was too concentrated on looking at the newspaper for a job. "Umm whatever, I don't care." Erika chose a DVD that she had picked up while shopping last week.

"Bella you should just apply for a job at that restaurant we went to last week." Erika suggested without thinking. Bella perked up.

"That's a great idea. I'll apply tomorrow. What movie did you pick?" Erika held up the DVD cover.

"A comedy with that new actor in it. I know you don't like romances." Bella nodded and Erika popped the DVD in.

"We should invite Will. I haven't seen him in a while." Bella was watching the opening credits so she didn't see the look on Erika's face.

"Nah, I think he has class tonight." Bella checked her watch.

"All classes ended half an hour ago. Here hand me my cell phone. I'll call him myself." Bella held out her hand expectantly.

Erika fumbled for words. "I think he went back home for the week to visit his dad." Bella turned to her suspiciously, but didn't make a comment.

The movie started and Bella and Erika fell into silence. Halfway through the movie Erika fell asleep. Bella threw a blanket on her and turned on the alarm clock. Erika turned over in her sleep knocking the remote off the bed. Bella picked it up and turned off the TV draping the room in darkness. After stumbling in the dark Bella found her bed.

The next evening Bella was at a large steak house hoping to get a job. She remembered that one of its sister restaurants had opened up a week before she left Phoenix. Renee and Phil had taken her there to eat as her going away present. Bella wished that she had never left Phoenix. She would have been ignorant to the world of vampires and to the hurt she felt when the vampire world left her behind.

"You must be Isabella Swan." A tall woman with black and hair said. Bella stood up and shook her hand putting on her best professional smile.

"Yes, I am. Please call me Bella." The woman appraised Bella from head to toe. Bella's grip on her hand was strong but not forced. The woman liked that.

"I'm Lois Baumhaus. What position are you applying for?" Bella pulled out her resume. "Oh no I don't need a resume; I'm a good judge of character." Bella put it away.

"I'm applying to be a waitress, if the position is open that is." Lois smiled.

"That's perfect. We are actually short one waiter since Danny quit last week." Lois went into interviewer mode. "Have you had any jobs before?"

"Yes, I use to work as a store clerk at an outdoor out fitters. . ." The interview went on for fifteen minutes and then another fifteen of them just talking.

Lois laughed freely at a joke Bella had made. "I think you get the job, Bella. You can start tomorrow."

Bella shook Lois' hand one more time and said thank you before taking a taxi back to campus.

Bella told the taxi driver to drop her off by the library so she could grab a book. After looking for fifteen minutes for the book she gave up and started walking to her dorm.

It was dark out but Bella felt no fear. In the back of her mind she had started to deny the existence of vampires.

A movement in front of her caught her attention. She damned the lane she was on for not having better street lamps. Bella squinted her eyes against the darkness in an attempt to see the shadowy figure strolling towards her. Finally they stepped into a ray of moonlight.

"Will, what's up? I haven't seen you in a month. Where have you been?" Bella asked happily, still on her high from getting her job so easily.

Will looked up from staring at his shoes. He had thought he was alone on the street until he heard Bella's calming voice break through his thoughts. He could only make out the most prominent of her features in the darkness yet she still looked glorious. Will didn't understand his feelings. At first he just liked her because unlike most girls she didn't like him, and then he saw how smart and beautiful she could be when she was in a good mood and he was hooked. He had only really talked to her twice, but he just felt for her and he wanted Bella for his own. But damn it, he couldn't have her.

So instead of saying all the things he wanted to say to Bella he walked by her wordlessly and for a reason unknown to him his heart sank slowly to the pits of his stomach.

_Asshole_. . . Bella thought to herself when Will passed her without even dropping a simple hello.

She went to bed that night extremely angry and aggravated.

The next morning Bella woke up just as annoyed as she did when she went to sleep. Getting up against her will she went to her morning classes.

Most of her fellow students steered clear of her when they saw the scowl that adorned her face. Professor Vine even gave her less work then usual.

"Erika, want to go out and get a cheeseburger or something?" Bella said loudly while she opened the door to the dorm room. Erika was topless in her bed with Will. "Oh, I'm sorry." Bella blushed and closed the door.

"Bella!" Will called out pitifully while pushing Erika off from on top of him. Bella heard, but chose to ignore him.

* * *

"May I take your order?" Bella asked a cheesy couple that were holding hands. It was Halloween and Bella was dressing in a witch's costume, hat and all.

"Actually can you give us another minute? My sweetie pie over there is feelin' a little fickle and can't make up her mind." The man said while staring at his girlfriend lovingly. Bella gagged and walked away to attend to her other costumers.

When Bella's shift ended she got changed in the backroom and went to find Lois to give back the borrowed costume.

"Thanks for letting me use one of your costumes." Bella said to Lois who was behind the bar making drinks.

"It's cool Bella. It was my fault I didn't tell you that we dressed up for Halloween so this is the least I could." Lois was dressed up as the devil.

"Hey bartender can I get another one of these German beers over here?" Bella heard a familiar voice call to Lois. Lois filled another mug with beer and went over to the far left side of the bar. Bella followed her.

"Here you go Willy boy. You should really slow down. I don't want one of my best customers getting alcohol poisoning." Lois said playfully as Bella stared at the slightly drunk Will.

"Don't worry. It takes a lot more then this to get me drun-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Bella. Will stood up unsteadily and pulled out his car keys and wallet. "I'm out of here." He put down a fifty on the bar, but Lois stopped him.

"You're not driving in that state. Hold on, I'll call you a taxi." Lois went over to the phone.

"No need Lois. I'll drive him home. We both go to the same college." Bella snatched the keys from Will's hand easily. Will tried to protest but his pleas were unheard.

Bella found Will's car easily. It was the nicest one in the parking lot. Bella sat in the driver's seat waiting for Will to open the passenger's side door. He fumbled with it for a minute before Bella leaned over and opened it for him.

"Thanks." He mumbled not knowing what he was doing in the same car as Bella.

Bella slowly started the car and glanced at Will who was leaning his head against the window looking sickly. "You all right?"

"No." Will said rather bluntly.

"What's wrong?"

_Damn it, she's being nice to me_. . . Will thought groggily trying not to say anything back to her but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. "I like you."

Bella swerved the car slightly in surprise. Thank goodness that most of the little kids had already gone home from trick or treating. "Is that a bad thing?" She said with a fake laugh at the end.

"You're so pretty." Will giggled like a girl.

_God, he's drunk, and I was actually starting to get a confidence boost_. . . Bella rolled her eyes. "That's good to know."

"No, I mean like really really pretty. Like goddess beautiful." Bella blushed, but kept her eyes forward on the road. They were almost back to the college. "I wanna kiss you and hug you and never let you go." He said after a few minutes of silence. Bella pulled up in front of Will's dorm. They both got out of the car. "Can I have a goodnight kiss?" He asked in a childish voice.

"No, you're drunk." Bella said laughing at his tone.

"If I was drunk would I be able to do this?" He rubbed his belly and patted his head. "See?" Bella shook her head still laughing.

"If you can do it backwards I'll give you a kiss." Will patted his belly and rubbed his head. "Fine, you win, you've earned yourself a kiss." Bella was hesitant. This was going to be the first person she had kissed since Edward.

"I'm a winner!" He said stupidly before leaning down to kiss Bella. He put everything into the kiss and was elated when he felt Bella's lips part slightly letting his tongue in. She pulled away first.

"Good night, Will." Bella started walking towards her dorms and Will waved like a maniac. Once she was out of his sight he went up to his room and crashed for the night.

Unknown to Will there was someone else in his room that had seen the whole display Bella and Will had put on.

Erika snuck out of Will's room and back to her own. Bella was already sleeping when she got there. Silently she pulled out her notebook.

_October 31, 2006_ she wrote then crossed it out when she noticed that it had technically just turned 12:01.

_November 1, 2006_

_I went over to Wilfred's dorm to surprise him. He wasn't there so I waited watching out the window. Around 11:50 his car pulled up, but he wasn't driving it. Bella Swan was. They both got out of the car and kissed. The situation is critical. We need to do something soon._

**So far in my plan I don't have Will and Bella fall in love. Review and I just update my other story A Missed Year too, so go check it out. Look at my four one-shots too.**

**Edited (12-28-09)  
**


	6. A Kick in the Wrong Direction

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this lil' story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

**I think I might have to change this story's rating to M. I hate having limits on what I can do.**

Chapter 5: A Kick in the Wrong Direction

November 3, 2006

"Bella lets go out. There's a party one of my senior friends is holding. We just have to go." Erika whined.

"I'm not going to some stupid party just because you want me to. Anyway, I'm work." Bella said as she did another problem on her paper.

"Come on Bella! Let's just go. Forget about all your work." Erika said getting slightly annoyed at Bella for not listening to her. Ever since Erika had seen Bella with Will she had been getting angrier at Bella with every day that passed. Professor Vine wasn't helping either. He kept saying to stick with the plan; Bella will eventually get overwhelmed with all the work.

Erika planned to take things into her own hands now.

"I'm not going. Don't you have any friends other then me? Go with Will or something." She said cruelly. Bella had noticed how strange Erika had been acting, but didn't truly care.

"Don't bring Will into this." She said as her face flushed deep red with anger.

"Touchy touchy. Goodness Erika. I'm just kidding. Why do you care anyway? I thought you and Will were just friends." Bella finally looked up from her work and sighed. "Fine, I'll go with you. Just chill." Erika smiled and pulled Bella up so she could help her get ready.

Erika twisted and pulled at Bella's hair as she just sat there breathing in and out.

Bella had only talked to Will once after the kiss. He said he was sorry and that he had been drunk. Bella immediately accepted it. It's not like she was looking for a relationship anyways.

After fifteen minutes they were at the party. The music was loud and there was alcohol everywhere. Bella wondered why campus security hadn't been called yet.

"Let's dance, Bella." Erika said. Bella just sighed and complied with her wishes. They walked into the crowd of sweaty people and started dancing. "You enjoying yourself, Bella?" Bella shrugged and continued dancing.

Erika smiled slyly and while Bella's back was turn she melted into the crowd.

She slid through the throngs of people easily until she made it to the door. A man with black hair ran into her when she was walking through the doorway.

"Watch it bitch." He said harshly. Erika was too set on her mission to respond to him.

She ran all the way back to there dorm room. Erika had been waiting for Bella to leave the dorm room for more then just for the length of a class so she could do this.

She pulled out a few sandwich bags full of marijuana and placed them in Bella's closet and under her bed. Next, she took out a bottle of tequila she had been saving and stuck it under Bella's pillow.

"Hello this is campus security. How can we help you?"

"Yes this is Erika Darling room ninety six South dorms. My roommate been acting strange. I think she is taking drugs and I'm really scared." Erika used her best fearful voice.

"Is she in the room with you?" The rent-a-cop on the other line asked calmingly.

"No, she went to some party." Erika bit the side of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"Well be there in five minutes."

* * *

The music was blaring.

Halfway through the third song Erika disappeared. Bella continued dancing and letting her thoughts drift away to the music. Every beat brought her closer to nothingness.

All around her people were drinking and doing stupid things.

Two cold hands were placed on her hips sending shivers up Bella's spine. They felt too familiar. She spun around to see who her new dance partner was.

He was tall and pale with scarlet eyes and glossy black hair. Bella didn't look fazed or surprised. She kept dancing.

"Join me upstairs." He whispered seductively. Bella would have been a puddle of mush if she hadn't been dazzled so many times that it didn't affect her anymore.

"I think you've got me wrong." Bella said with a fake smile. "I'm a lesbian." He gave her an incredulous look.

"You never know until you've tried." Bella stifled her laugh. He was trying so hard.

"I've tried and I didn't like it." He frowned and stepped away from Bella to find someone else to dance with.

Bella watched as he led a girl outside. She didn't make a move to stop them.

Two hours later after continuous dancing and a few drinks Bella walked home. The stairs to her dorm room were tiring after so much dancing.

"Thank goodness you're here Bella." Erika said with panic.

"What's wrong Erika?" Bella looked around there room. It was trashed. "What happened?"

"Campus security was doing random searches and they found some of my marijuana they are kicking us both out. I'm so sorry Bella. I never should have hidden my stash in your closet. I'm so sorry!" Erika started crying fake tears and showed Bella the notice of eviction. In truth they both weren't kicked out, only Bella.

Bella sighed loudly and sat down on her unmade bed. "It's alright Erika. I've been needing a reason to get out of here anyway."

"What?" Erika asked surprised.

"I was thinking of ditching this place but never on such bad terms. It wasn't the work or anything that made me want to quit. I just needed to go. Although I do need a little more money." Bella frowned to herself. "Oh well, help me pack."

Erika stood up from her bed and pulled out a suitcase. She hadn't known that Bella was going to leave eventually. "Bella I really am sorry." She said honestly this time as she pulled Bella's things together into a pile in the middle of the room.

"It's okay." Bella said bluntly, zipping up her suitcase. "Can you give me a ride to my job? I need to tell my boss that I'm quitting."

Erika bit her lip. "Alright."

The drive to Bella's job was short and silent.

"Bella what are you doing here?" Lois, Bella's boss, asked. Erika stayed in the car.

"I'm leaving town."

"What you've only been working here for a little over a week. What's wrong?" Lois asked concerned.

"I got into trouble and got kicked out of my college." Bella shrugged nonchalantly.

Lois nodded slowly and opened the cash register. She counted out some money. "Here, this should be a week's paycheck."

"You can't take money out of the cash register." Bella shoved the money back into Lois' hand.

"Don't worry. I own this branch. I would have been the one to write out your check anyways." Bella nodded and said goodbye.

Erika was still waiting in the car when Bella finally made her way outside.

"Everything go alright?" Erika asked still beating herself up for getting Bella kicked out so forcibly.

"Yeah, can you drop me off at the bus stop at the edge of town?" Erika kept taking side glances at Bella as she drove. She looked so calm and indifferent. It was freakin' Erika out.

Bella and Erika sat on the park bench waiting for the bus. The bus finally arrived and Erika helped Bella load her luggage onto the bus. Right before Bella got on Erika spoke.

"Bella, I just feel so bad. I need you to let me pay you back." Erika pleaded.

"There's nothing you can do. Bye and thank you for being such a fun roommate." Bella waved and attempted to get on the bus again, but Erika grabbed her wrist.

"Here," Erika handed Bella a wad of money. "It's the least I can do since I got you kicked out." Bella gave her a sad smile and took the money.

She needed it.

* * *

November 4, 2006

Will pulled up in front of Bella's old job. He fidgeted nervously.

Lois eyed him suspiciously as he walked into the restaurant with a bouquet of red roses. "Who are the roses for Willy boy?" She asked while cleaning off the bar.

"Bella, isn't she working tonight?" Lois frowned.

"So you finally got the guts to ask her out? I was sure you would have asked her out after she drove you home, but you chickened out." She said with a sad smile.

"Yeah, where is she?" He said embarrassed looking around for Bella.

"I'm sorry to say this but you're too late."

"What do you mean?"

"She left town last night."

**I like that little detail I threw in there about the vampire. Review please.**

**Edited (12-28-09)  
**


	7. Chunky Peanut Butter Means Fate

Disclaimer: Me no own

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this lil' story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

Chapter 6: Chunky Peanut Butter Means Fate

November 4, 2006

Bella laid her head against the cold windowpane as she watched the images past by in the early mist of the morning. They were blurred and distorted, but Bella still had the urge to stare at them.

An old woman in the seat in front of her snored loudly, disturbing the peace. Bella kicked the seat and the woman's snoring stopped.

The bus hit a pothole and Bella's head bounced off the window and hit the back of her seat with a low thud, amplifying her headache.

Through out the various switching of buses and long rides Bella hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

A sigh escaped her lips as the bus came to a halt at yet another bus station. It was her final stop.

Slowly, Bella stood up and grabbed her bags. There weight made her shoulders sag and hands clench.

The bus driver waved goodbye and Bella nodded politely in return.

The few people at the bus stop didn't notice Bella as she pulled out a cigarette and walked into a phone booth. She rummaged through her pockets wishing she hadn't forgotten her cell phone back in her dorm room on her nightstand.

She inserted three quarters and dialed the phone number of her old house in Forks. It rang only once before it was picked up.

"Bella?" A panicked voice asked.

"Yes dad it's me." Bella groaned and took a puff of her cigarette. The smoke escaped her lips and slowly drifted up until it was trapped by the roof of the phone booth.

"Thank goodness Bella. You know how worried Renee and I have been? I get a call from your college telling me that you've been kicked out because they found 'illegal drugs' in your dorm room. I try to call your cell phone and nobody answers. You could have been dead for all I knew!" Charlie's voice was alarmed and Bella could just picture his face, red with worry and anger.

"Dad they weren't mine!" Bella pleaded telling the truth.

"I'm a cop Bella; I've heard that excuse a thousand times."

"Dad they really aren't-"

"I don't want to hear it Bella. First the cigarettes then this? What's next Bella?" Before Bella could answer his question Charlie continued his rant. "You know what happened when I told Renee that they found drugs in your room? She started crying and shouting at me for not raising you right. Phil couldn't even get her to stop crying. Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up and-"

"Charlie!" Bella shouted then added on softly. "Dad, please listen. I don't care if you believe me or not. The only drug I've ever done in my entire life is tobacco. Those drugs weren't mine. I'm not telling you where I am because last time you had any control over me you sent me to college. I have a good amount of money on me and I'm capable of holding down a job. I'm going to do what I planned to do before you sent me to college. I love ya dad. Don't worry about me. I'll call you when I can."

"Bella-" The receiver made a soft clicking noise as Bella hung it up and put out her cigarette.

* * *

November 6, 2006

Bella stood outside a large building where her third interview of the day was to be held. The last interview she had had been cut short. When they found out she didn't have a college degree they told her she wasn't qualified, so she was early to her next interview.

Bella straightened her shirt and checked her watch. She still had a good ten minutes before she even needed to be in the building.

The side door of the building opened and a tall old woman came out with an unlit cigarette in her hand. She stood beside Bella and reapplied her lipstick.

"You got a light?" The woman's raspy voice asked. Bella pulled out her lighter wordlessly and lit the cigarette. "So what are you a prostitute or something?"

"No," Bella said calmly. "I am waiting. I have an interview in this building in ten minutes." The smell of the woman's side smoke made Bella's nicotine addiction go wild. She pulled out her own cigarette and lit it up.

"This place? Why would you want to work at this place?" Bella shrugged.

"I need the money, I'm a hard worker, and this job pays well." The woman nodded in understanding.

"Do you have a resume on you?" Bella handed the woman a copy. The woman fingered through it.

"No college degree? You'll never get a job here." The woman scolded her and Bella snorted.

"I have to try at least." Bella said stubbornly.

The woman sighed. "Well I guess you got the job."

"What?"

"You got the job. Must I say more?" Bella's mouth was slightly agape.

"Uh, thank you so much. I don't know what to say."

"It's fine. I'm Clair Dewberg. I'm the head of human resources. I expect you to be here Wednesday morning at 7:00. Don't be late." Mrs. Dewberg said with a smile.

"Thank you." Bella murmured again still stunned.

Mrs. Dewberg laughed and went back into the building.

Bella turned around and walked to her small apartment a block and a half away. She had rented it the day before.

* * *

August 8, 2007

"Please hold." Bella said into the receiver and covered it with her hand. Bella had been a secretary for a little less then a year now and had all the routines down. "Mr. Wayne your ex-wife is on the phone."

"Which one?" Bella's boss asked. He was an unconventional man in his late twenties who loved to flirt with any woman who crossed his path.

"The second. You know the first is too nice to call at the office. You should have stayed with her." Mr. Wayne agreed. His first wife was more pleasurable then his second.

"Tell her I'm not working today." Bella relayed the message.

"She's at your house right now. She knows your not there." Mr. Wayne sighed loudly and pulled on his coat.

"Tell her I took an early lunch." Bella passed on what he said and hung up the phone.

"You know she doesn't believe you at all and is probable heading over as we speak?" Bella said in a monotone voice.

"Yup, that's why I'm going to lunch. Want to join me?" Bella nodded mutely and followed him to the nearest diner that was across from her apartment. She ordered a sandwich and he ordered a late breakfast. "I'm going to a conference in New York on the tenth and I need someone to takes notes for me. Want to go with me? All expenses paid by the company of course." Bella thought about it for a moment.

"For how long?" Bella asked.

"Two weeks. We'll only be working for the first week so the second will pretty much be a paid vacation." Mr. Wayne said while twirling a spoon in his hand.

"Sure, why not. It's not like I had anything else planned." They finished their food and split the bill.

* * *

August 10, 2007

"You got to be freakin' kidding me." Bella dropped her luggage loudly half an inch away from Mr. Wayne's shoes. "I swear to god if you planned this I'm going to beat the living shit out of you."

"For once I didn't. The company is just cheap. It's not my fault we have to share a room."

"And I suppose that it's also not your fault that there is only one bed?" Bella said sarcastically and Mr. Wayne grinned like the cat that caught the canary. Bella's lips pursed in annoyance and she refrained from cussing him out. "We'll discuss this later. We need to go to the first meeting."

They took a taxi to a skyscraper on the edge of central park.

The first half of the meeting lasted an hour before everyone decided it was time for a break.

"Lazy corporate types, can't even work a whole hour without taking a break." Bella mumbled to herself as she clenched and unclenched her hands.

"I know!" A tall woman Bella hadn't noticed said dramatically. "They take at least five breaks a day. I have no idea how they can be so accomplished." Bella gave the stranger an odd look. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Aaren, I work down the hall." They shook hands and Bella noticed the ring Aaren was wearing. It looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

They continued to talk till Mr. Wayne interrupted them.

"Bella the meeting starts up again in five minutes." He said out of no where.

"Sure whatever." Bella said brushing him off, but at the same time checking her watch.

"Is he your 'roomie'?" Aaren asked referring back to there previous conversation.

"Yeah. He's an idiot. Real ladies man though."

"So you two. . ." Aaren trailed off suggestively.

"What? No, never! God forbid!" Bella shuttered in discuss and Aaren laughed.

"If he really bothers you that much you can stay over at my place. I have loft." Bella thought about it for a minute, wondering if she could trust this woman who was just shy of being a stranger. She came to the conclusion that she could.

"Really? You're a lifesaver. Thank you so much." Bella said with a smile then composed herself. "Well I don't want to impose. . ."

"Don't worry about it." Aaren said with a smile.

* * *

"Do you have any peanut butter?" Bella asked as she searched through the cabinets in Aaren's kitchen. "I'm having a craving for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"Left of the sink middle shelf. I only have chunky peanut butter. I hope that's fine with you." Aaren shouted from another room.

"That's fine. I actually prefer chunky to smooth." Bella walked over to the cabinet and stood on her tip-toes trying to reach up. She grabbed the first thing that was the shape of a peanut butter jar. Bella pulled it down, but something else came down with it.

A clear jam jar that looked like it was filled with water came hurling down and smashed on the ground.

Aaren came running in the room to see what the noise was.

"I'm sorry I must have knocked it over when I was reaching for the peanut butter." Bella said softly as she leaned over to help Aaren pick up the bigger pieces of glass. "Shoot." Bella dropped the piece of glass she was holding and looked down at her cut finger. A single bead of blood rolled down her finger and landed in the water.

"Here let me get you a band aid-" A low hissing noise interrupted Aaren.

The two women in the room looked to where the noise was coming from, the floor. More specifically to where Bella's blood had landed in the water.

The blood seemed to spread and turn the water into liquid silver before their eyes.

"Holy shit." Aaren whispered.

**Finally! I had to re-write this chapter three different times! Another mystery has appeared! Review and check out the story I picked out at the top of my profile. Once again review!**

**Edited (12-28-09)  
**


	8. A Jarring Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

**Important details incase you forgot. Wilfred (AKA Will) is Erika's friend (hinted with benefits) Erika is Bella's old roommate who framed her. Professor Vine is Bella's old science teacher and Wilfred's uncle. Trent is Professor Vine's brother (Will's dad) and Trina is Will's little sister I know I forget OC so I just thought I would help you all out just incase you do too.**

Chapter 7: A Jarring Storm

August 10, 2007

"What was in that jar?" Bella asked in a hushed voice.

"It was just-" Aaren cut herself off. "I can't believe that it's true. All those times I said it was bull and I end up being the one to find 'The Patron'." Aaren gasped with realization and ran over to the phone with Bella on her toes.

"Aaren what is going on?" Panic was starting to color Bella's words. Aaren ignored her. Instead, she started dialing a number into the phone. "I'm leaving. This is getting too weird." Bella went to get her bags, but Aaren grabbed her arm before she could reach them.

"Bella wait. I just don't know how to explain this to you without you freaking out. If you give me just one minute I'll call-" Bella yanked her arm out Aaren's grip and put up her hands in a sign of surrender and slowly walked towards her bags.

"I don't care Aaren. It was obviously a mistake for me to stay here. I'm going back to my hotel. Please don't talk to me ever again." Bella ended her little speech by picking up her bags and briskly walking out the door and to the first taxi that stopped for her.

"What are you doing back here?" Mr. Wayne asked Bella as she made her way into the hotel room. "I thought you were going to stay with that Aaren woman?"

"She was a freak." Mr. Wayne looked at Bella questioningly, but Bella didn't elaborate.

August 11, 2007

Bella walked into the skyscraper wearily. Her eyes swept from side to side trying to avoid Aaren.

Luckily, she made it to the boardroom without being spotted by the red head.

"Bella we are taking a break," Mr. Wayne said only two hours into the second meeting. "Want to go and get some Starbucks with me?"

"No, I think I'll just stay here and look over these notes." Bella straightened out the various papers in her hands.

Mr. Wayne chuckled to himself. "You're still trying to avoid, what was her name. . . Aaren?" Bella didn't answer him.

Right as he was about to exit the boardroom Bella called him back. "Mr. Wayne."

"Yes?" He asked with a charming smile.

"Since you are going to Starbucks can you get me an espresso?" Bella asked with a wry smile.

"Anything else?" Mr. Wayne said sarcastically.

"Yes, make sure to get extra foam. Espressos are always better with extra foam." Mr. Wayne left with a loud snort.

Bella shuffled through the many notes for a few minutes until she became bored. She opened the door to the hallway a crack and peaked through. The hallway looked clear from her vantage point, but right as she was about to make a dash for the restrooms Aaren rounded the corner. Bella quickly closed the door before she could see her.

Aaren heard the door click and turned her attention to it. As she approached she noticed that it was one of the two conference rooms she hadn't checked.

She had to find Bella and explain to her what happened and to get her to understand why she was so important.

Aaren opened the door and sure enough Bella was in there glaring at her. "Bella can we please just-"

"I need to go to the bathroom." Bella said interrupting Aaren. She walked past Aaren quickly and to the bathrooms. Aaren sighed and pulled out her cell phone.

"Trina? Put your father on the phone." Aaren said into the receiver.

"Is everything alright?" A strong male voice asked.

"Trent thank god it's you. I can't even talk to her. She just won't listen to me. I need your help." Aaren said in a panicked voice as she paced around the boardroom.

"You still live in New York?"

"Yeah, she's here too, but I don't know for how long." Aaren glanced toward the restrooms then her watch. Her break was almost over.

"I'll be there tomorrow." He said and Aaren closed the phone then went back to her office.

A few minutes later Bella came out of the restrooms after stalling as much as she possible could. Aaren wasn't in the hallway anymore, but Mr. Wayne was back with her coffee.

"Thanks." Bella said as she took the drink and checked the hallway again.

The meeting continued in the boardroom and after it finished Bella and Mr. Wayne went back to there hotel.

August 12, 2007

"So is that woman still stalking you Bella?" Mr. Wayne asked in the elevator as he stretched trying to ease his soar muscles. The hotel's floor was not a comfortable place to sleep.

"Unfortunately so." Bella mumbled and the elevator doors opened. Aaren and a tall man with black hair that Bella hadn't seen before were standing in the doorway blocking their way.

"Excuse us, but this is our stop." Mr. Wayne said not noticing the look of fear on Bella's face. Mr. Wayne walked past them, but when Bella tried to Aaren grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me." Bella said threateningly and Mr. Wayne finally noticed what was going on. Aaren still didn't let go.

"She said let go." Mr. Wayne added in eyeing the man beside Aaren. Thankfully, Mr. Wayne was twice his size. Aaren let go of Bella and brushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear. Her eyes were pleading with Bella to listen.

Mr. Wayne and Bella walked away.

"I'm getting out of here." Bella said to Mr. Wayne once they were out of earshot.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Wayne asked thinking more about the hassle of taking notes for himself other then Bella's well being.

"Home. I don't need anymore of this crap."

"Here's the hotel room key. Don't forget anything."

"Thanks." Bella said and then took the stairs to the ground floor. After grabbing her bags from the hotel and leaving the hotel room key at the front desk Bella took a taxi to the airport. The flight felt longer then it did the first time.

August 28, 2007

It was Bella's week off and she was back in Forks visiting Charlie. Mr. Wayne had said that Aaren and the man she was with had left the day after Bella had. Bella hadn't seen them since.

"Bella this is really unnecessary. You're on vacation. You don't have to cook for me." Bella's and Charlie's relationship had become a strange one since Bella had been kicked out of college. They had only one unspoken rule that they both abided to. Taking about anything about the past was a taboo.

"It's fine dad. I enjoy cooking and it's rare for me to cook for anyone else other then myself." Bella said as she pulled out a few pans. She walked over to the fridge and looked into it with a frown. "Dad can you pick up a gallon of milk. This one is at least a month old." Bella pulled out the expired milk and put it in the trash can.

"Sure Bella. I'll pick up a few other things too since you'll be staying here for a while." Charlie grabbed his keys and walked out the door. Bella counted to one hundred before pulling out her cigarettes and walked into the backyard to smoke.

Bella had told Charlie that she had quit smoking to appease him.

Right as Bella pulled out her lighter it started raining. She sighed and went back inside to hid her cigarettes and lighter again. It started thundering outside and the lights flickered. That wasn't anything new. The power in Forks was always on the fritz.

Bella started preparing spaghetti when the doorbell rang. She paused in her stirring of the noodles and walked over to the door.

_Was Charlie expecting anyone?_ Bella questioned to herself. She couldn't remember if he had mentioned anyone.

Bella tried looking through the peep hole but then remembered that Renee accidentally painted over it when she was repainting the door oh so long ago.

Bella opened the door hoping that it wasn't anyone from her high school. Unfortunately it wasn't.

Aaren and the man from before were there.

A car drove past and Bella whispered frightened. "What the hell are you people doing here?"

**I was in a writing mood. I only have one chapter left for A Missed Year and I started another short story called Meeting The One You Love. Check them out if you haven't. Review!**

**Edited (12-28-09)  
**


	9. Some Things are meant to be Memorable

Disclaimer: Me no own

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

**I would like to say hello to my new beta ColourBlue**

Chapter 8: Some Things are meant to be Memorable

August 28, 2007

"What the hell are you people doing here?" Bella asked again and received the same answer: silence. Another peel of thunder roared over head and temporarily blinded Bella and it was in that brief moment of sightlessness that Bella was knocked unconscious.

Bella awoke after an unknown amount of time in a car with her hands bound with duck tape. She struggled against the thick layers of tape trying to free herself.

"Shh Bella. It's alright." Bella hadn't noticed that Aaren was sitting beside her until she had spoken. Bella continued to fight against her bindings, but when they wouldn't loosen she resorted to kicking Aaren,

"Bella stop!"

"You freakin' kidnap me and you want me to stop?" Bella shouted and then started kicking harder. "Let me out of this car!" Bella screamed as she landed a hit on Aaren's chin. After another ten minutes of kicking Bella grew tired and Aaren, taking advantage of the moment, quickly duck taped her legs together and sat on them.

The car came to a stop and Bella was lifted from her seat by the man from earlier before being dropped on a couch in what looked like a hotel room.

"Bella?" a voice Bella recognized asked. She turned her head to the other side of the room and saw a much more mature Will. He had grown his hair out a little so that his bangs darkened his eyes and he looked much more muscular.

"Will you've got to help me! These people are crazy! They kidnapped me and who knows what they're going to do next," Bella started tugging at the tape again. Will sat beside her and put his hand over hers calming her struggles.

"Bella I'm so glad it's you," Will said as he helped pull off the tape, while Aaren and the man with black hair stood in the background unnoticed. "Where have you been? I went to the restaurant that you used to work at to see you, but when I got there they said you had left already," Said Will as he pulled off the last piece of tape and Bella stood up from the couch and began to head towards the door.

"Wait Bella!" Will jumped up and blocked Bella's way.

"Move Will. I need to get out of here." He still didn't shift.

"Bella you don't understand," Will said desperately, a sudden realization overcoming Bella.

"You're one of them too aren't you?" shouted Bella, who tried shoving past him, but he held fast. The two figures in the background came forward and yanked Bella back to the couch. "Will, get these people off of me!"

"I'm sorry Bella. I can't let you go. Don't worry we're not going to hurt you, we just need you to listen." Bella sat, silently glaring at

Will. He took a deep breath and flinched under her intense gaze. "Do you believe in immortal beings Bella?" Bella's breath hitched.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said with a strained voice, her eyes avoiding his briefly.

"Well there are...well were. They're dead now"

"I guess they weren't that immortal then." Bella said under her breath.

Will looked sideways not really knowing how to explain this to Bella.

"They were immortal until the person keeping them alive disappeared."

Bella's left eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch wondering what he was talking about. Was there something the Cullens hadn't told her about vampires?

Will continued. "These immortals called this person The Patron."

He paused and glanced around the room. "And we think you are this person's reincarnation."

"That is ridiculous!" Bella shouted and stood up only to be forced down again.

"It's true Bella," Aaren added in, "You are the new Patron."

"Prove it!" Bella spat out with venom in her voice. She had had too many mythical encounters in her day and didn't want another. Was it impossible to ask for a normal life?

"I will." Aaren said calmly, rummaging through a bag that Bella had not seen her bring in and she pulled out a silver flask and poured its contents into a plastic cup.

"This isn't proving anything other then you're thirsty."

Aaren glared at Bella and pulled out something else that Bella couldn't see. Will seized one of Bella's hands. As Aaren came closer Bella saw a glint of silver, a small pocket knife. She sat there stunned until Aaren cut Bella's palm and a few drops of blood fell into the cup. The water hissed and slowly tuned a silver color.

"That is obviously some parlor trick," Bella said as she looked at her own blood on her hand making herself slightly woozy.

"It's no trick."

Aaren poured another cup and added her own blood to it. Nothing happened. Bella picked up the cup of silver liquid.

"What is this suppose to prove?" Bella held up the up and sniffed at the liquid; it smelled like cotton and rain.

"Only The Patron can activate the water from the fountain of youth."

The cup slipped from Bella's hand, but Will caught it.

"Fountain of youth? You've got to be kidding me. If this is water from the fountain of youth then drink it Aaren. I'm sure it will make you feel wonderful."

Aaren took the cup from Will and guzzled it down, waiting a few moments for someone to speak.

"See nothing happened. Obviously all of you are delusional and need to be admitted."

Aaren's gasp cut Bella off. She was staring at the spot on her hand where she had cut not a minute ago. It was completely healed. A scar that used to be on her forehead appeared to be repairing itself and her two ear piercings closed themselves. Bella gaped at her.

"It worked." The man with black hair said. Will snorted.

"Of course it worked Dad, I told you Bella was special."

Bella looked between them and for the first time noticed the resemblance.

"So if I'm this 'Patron' person then what does this make all of

you?" Will's dad smiled at her question.

"I'm Trent Vine, Will's father." He shook Bella's uncut hand. "And I suppose you could say that Will and I are part of the 'royal family'. The first born son in our family is, well was, supposed to seek out the Patron until he turned thirty and then it was his son's task and if he didn't locate the Patron then it fell to his son, and so on so forth. We're supposed to be the right hand man of The Patron when we found them, their most loyal servants." He bowed to Bella jokingly.

"And what about you Aaren?" Aaren looked up from her healed hand to reply to Bella.

"I'm just one of the many descendants of the immortals." Aaren said

with a smile and looked back down at her hand in amazement, as a long uncomfortable silence blanketed the room.

"So what does this all mean?" Bella asked after fully accepting what they all were telling her.

"It means that you can make people in our society immortal, that you hold power, and that you must leave your old life behind so that you can come live in the underground city where the fountain is with us."

"In other words we have to fake my death."

He nodded and a wicked smile slid onto Bella's face.

"Then I want it to be memorable."

**How are you guys feelin'? I'm feeling great. I finished my other story A Missed Year. If you haven't seen it then you should check it out. I don't know about you guys, but I liked this chapter's ending. I mean when you die don't you want your death to be memorable? Review please.**


	10. Timing is Everything

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**High five for my beta ****ColourBlue who just did a wonderful job at beautifying this chappie. **

Chapter 9: Timing is Everything

September 4, 2007

Dr. Murphy of Forks Hospital sat on his couch eating junk food while watching the local news. His wife walked in, finally home from the grocery store, and grabbed the bowl of chips from him.

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes," she said in annoyance and Dr.

Murphy simply nodded in reply, not even glancing away from the screen.

"And in more recent news, Isabella Swan went missing one week ago," the newscaster announced and Dr. Murphy sat up in interest, "We're here with Samantha Stanley, mother of Jessica Stanley, one of Isabella Swan's old classmates. What did you see Mrs. Stanley?" The newscaster asked, handing the microphone to a plump woman.

"Well, I was driving back from work on my usual route, which passes by the Swan's house, when I saw a redheaded woman and a tall man with black hair outside of their residence. I couldn't see their faces because of the rain, but I saw Bella open the door for them before I drove off." The screen switched back to the newscaster.

"If anyone sees Isabella Swan please contact this number," the newscaster continued as a picture of Bella and a phone number popped onto the screen. Dr. Murphy quickly turned off the TV and picked up the phone. No, he was not going to call the number on the TV, but rather an old friend he had made a promise to call if anything happened to one of his old patients. He dialed the number to call Carlisle Cullen.

* * *

September 4, 2007

In Denali, Alaska, Carlisle and his wife Esme had just returned home from hunting. As they were changing, Carlisle's cell phone rang and Esme gave Carlisle a purposeful glance. They both knew that anyone who would need to talk to Carlisle was currently living in the same house as he was; everyone that is except for Edward. But he only called every three months, never sooner, never later. Exactly three months for the past two years.

Esme picked up the phone and tossed it to Carlisle, who easily caught it.

He checked the caller ID 'Unknown Caller.' He opened it regardless, and pressed it to his ear.

"Dr. Cullen?" A look of sadness flashed in Esme's eyes because the voice was clearly not Edward's.

"This is he. May I ask who is calling?" Carlisle asked, and glanced at Esme's sad face yet beautiful face.

The person on the other line took a deep breath, "This is Dr. Murphy. You told me to call you if anything life threatening ever happened to Isabella Swan." Esme reached over and snatched the phone away from Carlisle in a flash of movement.

"Yes, what happened to Bella?" Esme asked in a motherly yet forceful tone.

"Um, yes, I was watching news and they said she was kidnapped by a redheaded woman and a man with black hair." The man was slightly flustered from the smooth voice of Esme.

"Did they give any other information?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'll call you if anything more develops."

"Don't bother, we'll be in Forks in a day or two," Esme hung up the phone without another word, "You don't think it's" Esme looked at Carlisle, unable to say her name.

"Victoria? What other redheads do we know that would want to harm Bella?" Carlisle responded as he grabbed one of his suitcases and started packing.

"And that man? Do you think it could be Laurent?" Esme asked as she too began place clothes in a suitcase, "After all, he did go missing a year ago and we knew he would never be able to stick to our diet, though I never thought he would go back to Victoria," she finished as Carlisle was zipping up his suitcase.

"Where are you two going?" Emmett asked as Carlisle and Esme carried their bags downstairs.

"We're going to our cottage in North Dakota for a little alone time. We don't know when we'll be back," Carlisle lied easily and Emmett accepted it with even more ease. Everyone needed a vacation from the stress that seemed to constantly darken the household.

It took Carlisle and Esme a day and a half to reach Forks. They went straight to Bella's house as soon as it was dark. Her scent was faint, but still traceable; and it lead them down the driveway but then disappeared.

"Victoria must have taken a car," Esme said, mostly to herself, but Carlisle nodded silently in agreement. They circled the house, searching for more scents but the rain had already washed away any other traces. They slowly began to expand the search area, but the days spent searching were to no avail.

"What are we going to do?" Esme asked sadly as she leaned on Carlisle's shoulder where they sat resting in the middle of the forest after a long day of difficult and fruitless searching.

"I don't know, but one thing is for sure." Esme turned so she could look him in the eyes.

"What is it?" The sadness in his eyes pained her greatly.

"We can't tell Edward."

* * *

September 14, 2007

Alice sat in the living room reading a dictionary, Jasper sitting beside her simply enjoying her presence. Rosalie strutted into the room, the super model look even more apparent than usual.

"When are Esme and Carlisle getting back?" Rosalie asked as she sat down across from the loving couple.

"I don't know, they didn't say," Alice said without looking up from the dictionary.

"Well, can't you just look into the future?" Rosalie asked with a huff,

"Honestly."

Alice finally looked up at Rosalie; she had been quick tempered ever since they moved from Forks. Regardless, Alice closed her eyes trying to see the future. She shuffled through various images in her mind, silently repeating Carlisle's and Esme's names until one of the visions caught her mind's eye.

_It was Edward. He was kneeling on the ground, tearing up clods of dirt while sobbing, a piece of paper barely visible in his tightly clenched fist. The rest of the Cullen family surrounded him, looking on and at a complete loss as to what to do. A large burning building loomed in the background, the signs of destruction visible all around. Suddenly Edward stood and ran over to Alice. _

_"Why didn't you see this sooner?" He yelled, shaking her roughly by the shoulders, continuing to shout in between sobs, "Why did she have to die? Why did they have to take my Bella?"_

The vision faded and Alice came out of her trance, her hands shaking. Jasper was holding her tightly to his chest sending her calming waves.

"What's wrong Alice? What did you see?" He asked in a loving voice that was only meant for her.

"Bella is going to die." Everyone in the room, save Alice, gasped at her words. She stood up and ran out of the room while everyone was still in a daze.

"Alice! Alice where are you going?" asked Jasper as he tried to control all of the emotions swirling around the room and catch up with his girlfriend.

"We need to get to Forks now!" she yelled from her room.

"What about Edward?" Rosalie asked. Alice reentered the room now wearing loose clothing that would make the running ahead much easier. Before she could speak up, Jasper answered for her.

"He doesn't need to know. His emotions are unstable as it is and I'm positive he'd go crazy if he sees Bella dead." Emmett and Alice nodded their heads in agreement, but Rosalie's face lost all expression.

"You're right. You three run ahead and I'll catch up once I change and call Esme and Carlisle to leave a message."

Seconds later the other three were gone, running toward Forks, while Rosalie slipped into the kitchen. She quickly punched in a cell phone number, nervously tapping her fingers as the ringing continued. It rang for what seemed like eternity and when it finally stopped it was replaced by a dejected voice.

"Hello?" the voice asked.

"Edward? This is Rosalie..."

* * *

September 14, 2007

Edward dropped his cell phone on the dry dirt of the little Mexican city he had been staying in. He took off running, leaving the small electrical device to be fried in the bright afternoon sun.

_'Please don't be dead.'_ Edward chanted in his mind. _'Don't die.'_

He was going too slow, he could feel it. _'Why didn't I choose a closer place to stay?'_ Edward asked himself, though he already knew the answer. If he had been too close to Bella there would have been no way of stopping him from running back to her.

He passed through Arizona into Utah as the sun was setting. When he finally reached Forks it was well after midnight. The Cullens' scent was everywhere, but Bella's was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly there was a loud explosion in the distance and he immediately took off running in that direction. As he moved closer to the explosion, the scent of smoke and Bella filled his nose.

Edward finally broke through the tree line only to be faced with a large burning building. He could hear six pairs of feet running behind him but he paid them no mind the smell of Bella's blood was far too distracting to him. He followed the scent and it led him to a small shredded piece of paper held down by a single grey stone. It had only four words written on it but those four words were enough to shatter Edward's world.

'She deserved to die.'

He knew the red ink was Bella's blood, its scent still strong and fresh.

Edward fell to his knees and reread the words over and over again, repeating them in his mind after he crumpled the paper into his hands. His breathing became ragged as his fist pounded repeatedly into the earth until his family's thoughts penetrated his mind. He stopped and stood up, slowly scanning all six of them before focusing on Alice.

"Why didn't you see this sooner?" He grabbed her roughly and shook her, continuing to shout, "Why did she have to die? Why did they have to take my Bella?"

She didn't answer him. She didn't even know how he knew about her vision, about all of this. Edward shook her again, a sob escaping his mouth, but Jasper stepped in and pulled him off before he could do any more.

"Edward," Jasper said feebly.

"She might still be alive," Edward whispered to himself as a crazed look found its place in his eyes. He started sprinting toward the burning building, but Emmett grabbed him and shoved him to the ground.

"Let me go Emmett! She has to be alive. I can feel it!" Edward punched Emmett hard in the gut and continued running until a wave of fatigue hit him. He slouched and slowed his pace. The only thing keeping him from falling to the ground was sheer determination and hope.

'Edward, she's dead. I can't feel any feelings coming from that building." A sad growl ripped through Edward's chest, but Jasper didn't stop talking, "I'm sorry Edward, but she's dead."

Edward fell to the ground trying not to let Jasper's word register

"I don't believe you," he said in between sobs, "It just can't be..." Edward didn't finish his sentence.

_'Why did you have to die? Why today?'_ Edward took a painful breath, remembering what today was.

It was the two year anniversary of the day Edward left Bella.

**Did you all like the detail of them thinking it was Victoria and Laurent? I loved that idea. The next chapter might take a little longer then usual because it's one of those that are an in between chapter that has to be written for the plot. I hate those, but they are necessary. Please review and go to the top of my profile to see the fanfic I chose for the best fanfic of the week. Also I posted another one shot.**


	11. A NonLethal Explosion with a Fatal Crack

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**Thank you ColourBlue. I know this chapter was long and quite bothersome.**

**Warning: A lot of the things in this chapter feel random, but by the end of the chapter most of them will make sense; Most of them, but not all.**

**Reminder: Trent is Will's father's name.**

Chapter 10: A Nonlethal Explosion with a Fatal Crack

September 13, 2007

Bella watched in amazement as Will pieced together various gizmos and gadgets, a bomb slowly forming beneath his fingers.

"How did you learn to do that?" She asked as she stood up from the lumpy hotel chair to get a better view of what he was doing.

"Internet," Will answered simply as Bella came closer. She noted that he was wearing gloves so that he would leave no fingerprints. "You might want to keep your distance. I'm about to add the C4." Bella took a step backwards. "I still don't understand why you want to be the one to set up the bomb in the warehouse. I'd rather do it myself so that you're not in any danger." Bella blushed slightly at the caring undertone in his voice.

"I'm fully capable of following simple instructions." Bella grumbled as she skimmed over the sloppy instructions he had written on the hotel stationary.

"You're avoiding the question. Why don't you want me to set up the bomb?" Will asked as he cut a wire, "Hand me those pliers." Bella tossed them to him while avoiding his gaze.

"It's my 'death'. I want to make sure it goes completely according to plan." He grunted in response. In truth the only reason Bella wanted to handle the dangerous explosives by herself was just incase the Cullens, on some off chance, decided to investigate her death. She didn't want anyone's scent other then her own to be there in case they tried to track it.

* * *

Bella found herself gazing out the window at the setting sun, trying not to think about all the pain her parents were probably in because of her absence.

She sighed longingly as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and mentally wished for their safety.

Aaren walked into the room holding two bags of fast food.

"You guys hungry?" She asked as she set a bag between them and pulled out her own greasy hamburger from the other.

"What no drinks?" Will said playfully as he set down the pliers and took off his gloves.

"I only had two hands and since you were working on the bomb, Bella can't be seen, and your dad is getting us airplane tickets I had to get all the food myself. You should just be glad I got you your fries." Aaren said in an annoyed voice before taking a big bite of her pickleless hamburger.

"You know you don't have to eat anymore since you've drank from the fountain of youth," Will stated after finishing the burger, licking his fingers before he started on the large container of deliciously salted fries.

"I'm aware, but that doesn't mean that I have to. I like eating."

Aaren proved her point by eating a handful of Will's fries.

"I'm going to bed." Bella said abruptly. She stood up and tossed the messy burger wrapper in the trashcan.

"Here let me escort you." Will said before he stood up and brushed the crumbs off his dark grey shirt.

"It's just across the hall. I don't need your help finding my way."

He ignored her and stuck out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. Bella rolled her eyes at his childishness but still looped her arm around his. They walked the short span to Bella's and Aaren's shared room. Bella pulled out her key card and unlocked the door. She glanced back at Will who looked like he was waiting for something. "Can you do me a favor Will?" He nodded eagerly in reply.

"Yeah, whatever you want Bella. What is it?" He didn't know what to expect from her, but all he wanted was to fulfill her every whim.

"Can you finish the bomb tonight? It's really important to me that it be finished by tomorrow." Will was surprised by the randomness of her request.

"Sure, no problem." It was a problem actually. He'd have to work all night and grab a few more supplies from the local gas station if he wanted to have it done by tomorrow.

"Thank you," she answered quietly and Bella surprised him by kissing him on the cheek before she quickly retreated into her room with a hasty good bye.

Will touched the spot that she kissed with his hand. Even after nearly a year had passed since he had kissed her last he still got that indescribable feeling when ever she was around.

* * *

Bella hurried into her hotel room. She leaned against the door blushing, still in shock over the fact that she had kissed Will. It wasn't that she didn't know if Will liked her, because that she could tell. He had that same look that Mike, Jacob, and Edward had in their eyes whenever they gazed at her. It was her own feeling she was unsure of. Feelings were one of the many things she tried to avoid thinking about since Edward left.

Bella quickly looked through the peep hole on the door. Will was still there with his hand pressed against his cheek and a goofy smile dominating his features as he slowly turned around and wandered to his own hotel room.

As the door closed on the other side of the hallway Bella pushed off her hotel door and made her way towards the bed. She flopped down and grabbed the remote, flipping to the local news. Tonight though, Bella's kidnapping was not the headline story, but rather a recent shooting in Seattle. Bella expected as much: after all, she was just one person in a sea of many.

With a long sigh Bella turned the TV off and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a quick shower. When she walked back out of the steamy bathroom she found Aaren reading a book in her bed.

Aaren looked up from her book. "What did you do to Will? When he came back to the room he was grinning like a poor man who just found out he got a big tax rebate."

"I didn't do anything to him." Bella muttered as she tucked herself in under the covers. "Maybe he remembered how to fix the bomb up better for a bigger explosion or something." She said too tired to make up a better lie.

"Mmh, I'm sure." Aaren said incredulously. Bella snuggled deeper into the comforter and stared at the clock trying to fall asleep. The only noise in the room was the occasional turning of pages from Aaren's bed and the soft whooshing of the air conditioner overhead. The clock struck midnight just as Bella's eyelids began to droop.

'_Just one more day.'_ Bella thought before she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was twelve hours later when Bella finally woke up groggily. Rubbing here eyes, she realized Aaren was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging and figuring she had gone out on a food run; Bella got up and headed toward the bathroom.

When she was all cleaned up she headed to Will's room, only to find that he was still sleeping. Not wanting to awaken him, Bella closed the door silently behind her, but Will still stirred and rolled over, waking up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just came over to look at the instructions again." Bella looked at the desk where she had set the sheet down last night, but it was missing.

Will yawned, "That's fine Bella, I needed to get up anyways. The instructions are over here." He pulled a piece of paper off of his nightstand. "I rewrote them last night since I knew they were a bit too messy to be readable." Bella grabbed the paper from him and sat on his bed reading the instructions. She could feel Will watching her.

"I should plant the bomb today." Bella said, but Will only shrugged in response.

"That's fine. I'll drive you to the trail that leads to the warehouse but you'll have to hoof it from there. You know, I still think that I should be the one to set the bomb."

"Well that's too bad: I'm going to be the one to do it not you or Aaren. And go take a shower for goodness sake. I can smell you from here."

Will sniffed his armpits and cringed.

"Whoa, I do smell." He stood up and headed to the shower. He was only wearing a pair of dark red boxers.

"Idiot," Bella said to herself for staring at his retreating form. The shower started running. "Do you know where Aaren went?" She shouted over the roar of the water.

"I think she told me something, but I was half asleep so I have no idea.

Check if she left a note." Bella looked around, but she couldn't find one.

"I can't find one." Bella shouted, but Will didn't reply. A few minutes later the water turned off and Will came out with a towel around his waist and another he was rubbing through his wet hair. Bella quickly glanced down at his six-pack and happy trail while he was occupied with his hair.

"So did you find a note?" He asked as he dug through his bag for clean clothes.

"No, I guess she went out for more food or something." Will nodded and pulled out clean clothes then went back into the bathroom to change.

Waiting for him to finish changing, Bella pulled out a piece of stationary and wrote: _'Will and I went to go do you know what. We'll be back soon. From B.' _

"You ready to go?" Will asked as he stepped out of the bathroom in fresh clothes and grabbed the car keys and bomb.

"Yeah," she replied as she folded the paper in half and laid it on Will's pillow. Will peeked out the door to make sure there was no one there before making his way to the car with Bella in tow.

The car ride was silent except for the radio and the light pattering of raindrops, and Will kept glancing over at Bella every few minutes. They finally arrived at one of the many dirt roads that led to trails and Bella got out of the car.

"You sure you don't want me to do it?" Will asked for the last time.

"I'm sure," she said, growing annoyed with his insistence, "Don't worry, just wait in the car," Bella continued as she pulled out the bomb from the back of the car and put it in a backpack. "I'll be back in a half an hour," She finished, slamming the trunk closed with anger.

Bella started off down the trail. Her mind wandering from memory to memory before stopping at the last time she went hiking. It had been with Edward.

That had been such a wonderful day. It was such a vivid memory that Bella didn't notice the tears that slowly rolled down her cheeks and mixed with the rain.

After a few minutes she reached the warehouse. Oddly enough, the front door was unlocked and Bella made her way inside the building, inhaling the odorous scent of mold and cardboard that filled the air.

Bella set up the bomb in the middle of the warehouse following Will's instructions word by word. She set the timer carefully, double and triple checking everything before leaving.

As she was nearing the exit, a stack of old papers caught her eye and an idea was born. She grabbed one of the papers and headed outside. It had stopped raining. Taking off her one of her gloves she pulled out Will's pliers from the bag and a damp stick from the ground. Bella nipped her left thumb with the pliers and used the stick to write the sentence that she knew would hurt many. She could only hope that it would reach the right people.

Bella replaced her glove and put a nearby stone on top of the paper.

The walk back to the car felt longer then to the warehouse with nothing to distract her from what could come from what she had done.

* * *

"Everything go okay?" Will asked as Bella slid into her seat.

"Yeah fine." She answered quietly without looking at him. Her voice sounded dead. Will frowned and started the car. For the entire car ride Bella didn't look at him once, instead she just gazed out the window at the passing blurs. It made Will uneasy.

"When did you set the timer for?" Will asked, hoping to break the gloom that had settled around her.

Bella squirmed slightly in her seat. "1:05 A.M. I doubt anyone will be awake to see it, but by the morning it will be a big pile of smoldering ash with no remains," she stated simply before turning back to the window.

"Good idea." As they pulled into the parking lot Will spotted Aaren's rental car. "Aaren's back. I hope she brought breakfast."

"It's technically lunch time." Bella said under her breath as they made their way to Will's room where they found Aaren and Will's dad sitting in separate chairs watching TV.

"It's about time you two got back. I thought we were going to miss our flight," Aaren said.

"Are we leaving already?" Bella asked surprised.

"Yeah," Will replied, "We've finished all the things we needed to here."

"I guess. . ." Bella wasn't completely sure if she wanted to leave

Forks again, but she knew she needed to let it go. She could always come back and visit it in a few years.

"You're staying here right dad?" Will asked and Bella turned her attention to Will's father, surprised by the question.

"You're staying here?" Bella said with a bit of anger. If she wasn't going to stay in Forks she didn't want anyone from her new life to be here.

"Yeah, just to make sure everything goes fine. I'll probably catch up with you in a few days time."

"Bella, I already packed your bag. We should probably leave now if you two want to pick up something to eat," Aaren said and Bella nodded mutely in reply.

"Oh, just one question before you head out: What time did you two set the bomb for?"

"1:05 tomorrow morning," Will replied, "Bye dad."

* * *

Trent Vine watched as his son and two lovely ladies exited the room. He sat back down in the chair and flipped through the TV channels, just trying to pass the time. He had to make sure everything went according to plan.

After an hour of clicking he grew bored and decided to head up to Forks to eat at a diners.

He sped down the highway paying no heed to the speed limit until the sound of police sirens caused him to pull over. A slightly overweight man with dark brown hair and purple bags under his eyes from countless nights of sleeplessness stepped out of the cop car.

"Do you know how fast you were speeding?" The police officer asked once he reached the driver's side window.

"Oh, was I speeding officer? I'm sorry. I guess I was off in my own little world." Trent shrugged with a smile.

The police man sighed too tired to care about the man's law breaking.

"That's Chief to you. I guess I'll let you off with a warning this time, but don't let me catch you speeding again."

"Will do Chief," Trent said before pulling off.

He arrived at an IHOP five minutes later. He took a seat near the front so he could people watch. After ordering some waffles he watched as a small family of three walked in. The older woman was around his age with long dark black hair and obvious Indian origins. She had her two children with her. Or at least Trent assumed they were her kids. His eyes glanced over the son before landing on the daughter. She was around the same age as Bella and had the same hair as her mother. In other words, she was absolutely beautiful.

Trent pulled his eyes away from the little family when his order came, instead choosing to focus on the waffles in front of him.

* * *

Leah Clearwater pulled up to the IHOP with her mother and little brother in the car.

Her small hands were clenched against the steering wheel. Ever since the Cullens had returned the whole pack had been on edge and the fact that the whole of Forks was still panicking because a local had been kidnapped did little to help.

They walked into the restaurant, chattering senselessly about a recent family gathering.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Leah said halfway through her meal. As she walked to the restrooms a man with black hair caught her eye. She felt herself freeze in place, all thoughts about going to the bathroom lost when she sucked in a large gasp of humid air.

Leah had just done something that only Quil had done with Clair and Sam had done with Emily: She had imprinted.

* * *

September 18, 2007

Trent Vine was in hog heaven. He hadn't been this happy since his late wife passed away after she gave birth to their second child. Everything was going too perfect. The bomb had gone off in a blaze of glory, there was nothing left of the warehouse, they had found the Patron, and to top it all off he had fallen in love. She was perfect for him. As of late, his every thought had been of Leah.

He still hadn't told her about his other life, but he was planning on doing it today.

"What are we doing today?" Leah purred into his ear as she let the bed sheet fall off her naked form.

"Today is that meeting I told you about." Trent said and Leah sighed.

"What's going to happen after the meeting?" Trent tilted his head slightly confused with her question. "I mean what's going to happen with us once your meeting is done. Isn't that the whole reason you came down here?" Leah looked down playing with the sheets with her hands, doing her best to avoid Trent's gaze.

Trent cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers. "I could never leave you Leah, you know I love you. The meeting is only an hour long and when I get back we can go to the beach." He kissed her again.

"Until then," She whispered as he exited the room.

In truth Trent wasn't going to a meeting; he was actually going to Bella's funeral. He just had to know what kind of life Bella was leaving behind.

The funeral had already started by the time he arrived. People were standing around the large hole as they lowered the empty coffin into the ground.

Trent stood on the outskirts as everyone around him cried on each other's shoulder.

* * *

Edward watched as the priest talked, unable to move his eyes from the empty coffin. His whole family was beside him and they too were staring at the same spot.

Thoughts assaulted Edward from all sides, but he tried to drown them out. He never wanted to hear anyone's thoughts ever again. He wanted to be alone; he wanted to die. But most of all, he wanted to kill Victoria and Laurent.

Charlie's angry thoughts were the loudest.

'_I can't believe that he showed up! The nerve of that kid! If I had my gun I swear to God I'd shoot him. Does he have any idea what his leaving did to Bella?'_ Charlie's thoughts suddenly switched focus. _'Where have I seen that guy before? And what the hell is he doing at my daughter's funeral? Wait, that's the guy I pulled over the day before my baby's death.'_ Charlie's thoughts stuttered. _'I bet he did it.'_ His last thought before Edward stopped listening was barely a whisper.

Edward's eyes zoned in on the man Charlie was staring at. In a flash that no one other then the other Cullens noticed Edward was gone. He grabbed the man and carried him into the forest.

"What did you to her?" Edward shouted as he held the man by his shoulders. The man's thoughts became panicked and jumbled.

"Edward let him go!" Carlisle shouted as he tried to pry Edward off the man but he wouldn't budge.

"He knows something Carlisle, I can feel it!" Edward shouted, "What did you to her, damn it?" He pushed the man against a tree with too much force and a sickeningly loud crack sounded through out the forest as the man fell to the ground.

One last thought ran through his head before he died.

'_I'm sorry Leah.'_

**Long chapters like this usually happen when I have a lot of ideas I want to smash into one chapter, but no chapter ending that would fit together so I keep writing till I think of something. I'm so jealous of this one author. She has male readers. I want male readers! **

**I loved this chapters ending. Leah needed some love. Unfortunately love is fleeting. Review!**


	12. The Cat’s Meow

Disclaimer: Me no own

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**Thank you ColourBlue. I know this chapter was another long and quite bothersome one.**

Chapter 11: The Cat's Meow

September 14, 2007

Will followed Bella onto the airplane, struggling to carry all of Bella's carryon along with his own. Aaren was dragging behind the two carrying her own things mumbling under her breath about how annoying Will was.

"I still don't get why you two get to sit in first-class while I'm right by the engines." Aaren said as she eyed the two of them.

"We get to sit in first class because Bella and I are newly weds, or at least according to our passports we are," Will said as he flashed Aaren their passports. Bella looked at her own passport. Apparently her name was Lauren Smith. How unoriginal.

With the "argument" finally over, Will and Bella took their seats in first-class while Aaren trudged to the back.

Bella pulled out a book to read while Will looked out the window fidgeting with his bag.

"You alright Will?" Bella asked after his restlessness made it impossible for her to concentrate on her Jane Austen.

"I hate flying. It always makes me nervous." Bella gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry, airplanes are completely safe. It's the stewardesses that you have to watch out for." Bella laughed to herself and Will relaxed.

"And why do I have to be worried about the stewardesses? They look perfectly harmless to me, unlike this metal contraption we're currently trapped in," Will said playing along with her. Bella just snorted at his response.

"Don't you know? Stewardesses are the epitome of all evil. You can see it in their eyes when they pour the drinks. Just you wait and see. They are pure evil," and as their chatting continued, the plane took off without Will's notice.

"Can I get you two anything?" A stewardess asked, only a few minutes into the flight. Bella tried to hide her laughter; the stewardess just looked too happy.

"Don't look her in the eye." Bella whispered to Will who promptly started coughing to cover up his laughing.

"Could we have some champagne? It's our honeymoon." The stewardess nodded and hurried off in her little blue uniform. She returned not a minute later with a glass of bubbly champagne in each hand. Bella took a sip from the plastic glass and sighed contently.

"I wonder how Aaren is holding up."

"I'm sure she's fine. It's not like this is the first time she's ever flown." Bella nodded and took another sip of her champagne. She started reading her book again and Will just stared out the window at the clouds. After nearly an hour had passed, he felt a slight weight on his shoulder. Looking over, he found Bella leaning against him sleeping soundly.

Will could actually feel his heart beat speed up.

Silent tears ran down Bella's face, making Will's smile turn to a frown.

He brushed away her tears with his thumb. Realizing she desperately needed comforting, even if she was asleep. Will unbuckled her and put up the armrest in between them. Carefully he picked her up and set her on his lap and immediately she stopped crying and snuggled into his chest.

Eventually he had to put her back when the plane was about to land; fortunately he was able to buckle her back in without her notice.

"Bella you need to get up. The plane has landed." Bella mumbled something incoherent before running her hand through her hair and slowly waking up.

"Where are we?" Will laughed at her groggy voice.

"Where I was born: Germany." Bella looked up at him surprised. She hadn't expected that they would be going so far away. "Come on. We have a car waiting for us." He helped her up.

Bella and Will walked off the plane and waited for Aaren in the terminal. She looked like hell when she finally emerged from the tunnel.

"I hate you two so much," was all she said to the two of them as she set her carryon bag down with a clunk.

After getting their luggage from the conveyer belts they headed to the ramp where their taxi was waiting. Will said something in German as the driver pulled off.

"I didn't know you could speak German." Bella finally said after a long silence.

"Only a little bit, I probably wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't essential for whenever I'm traveling to and from home." Bella nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, this brief bit of conversation did little to make the impossibly car ride go faster. Two gas stations later and a five memorized German songs after the sun set they finally arrived at what was apparently their destination.

"This is it?" Bella asked as she made a face while looking at the house.

It was large, but it looked like a single door slam would flatten it. The front door was off the hinges and all but two of its windows were broken, the rest sealed with spray painted plywood. Bella walked up the dirt path to the small wooden stairs. As she gingerly stepped on the first stair it broke beneath what little of her weight she had put on it. "This can't be it right? Please tell me this is a really stupid joke." Her voice was skeptical as she struggled to remove her foot from the wreckage.

Bella turned around to see Will smiling widely. "Of course not Bella, the place we're going to is the Cat's Meow. We just couldn't lead some random taxicab driver to where the entrance to our city is." He continued smiling as he helped extract Bella's foot from its trap.

"City? What are you talking about? I thought we were just going to the fountain?" Bella asked as she followed Will around the side of the house to an unkept yard. Unlike the rest of the property, the oversized shed that stood there looked relatively new.

"The fountain is in the city, right in the middle of the town square actually," Will said as he rifled through his pockets looking for his keys, "Aaren do you have the keys?"

"No I don't; I think you put them in your other bag." Will nodded and searched through the bag on his left shoulder and sure enough they were there. Fiddling with the lock for a moment, he finally managed to open up the shed and reveal two small jeeps.

The jeep ride through the forest was very bumpy making everyone bounce up and down like a jackhammer. Bella was dieing from the boredom of watching dark trees when the jeep halted abruptly making Bella jerk forward.

She righted herself to see Will and Aaren getting out as if driving cars deep into creepy forests were an everyday occurrence. She looked around curiously, as the plateau in front of her had a large marble arch with an iron gate that looked like it could be used to lock anybody out. Or lock them in.

Will used a key that was on the same key ring as the jeep's and opened the large gate. Aaren and Will went in, but Bella hesitated, it just looked so ominous and threatening.

"Are you coming Bella?" Will asked as he hoisted his and Bella's bags onto his shoulders.

"Uh, yeah sure." Bella took a deep breath and followed them into the dark spiral stairwell, that was so deep and dark she couldn't see where it ended.

The stairs seemed to go on forever and after what seemed like an hour, Bella could feel a thin film of sweat covering her upper lip. Even if the stairs were going downward they were killing her. Aaren looked fine (probably because of the fountain's water), but Will looked worse off then Bella as he lugged his and Bella's bags.

Bella couldn't help but feel that she was walking to her doom. The stuffy stairwell was just so foreboding, reminding her of the beginning of a horror movie.

"How much longer?" Bella asked after someone's wrist watch beeped, though she didn't know the time.

"Too long," Will panted.

After a tedious hour of walking they finally reached the bottom and Bella gasped at the sight before her.

A large city stood in front of her. The buildings were beautiful, each made of a dark grey stone that sparkled ever so slightly and every building had its own architecture that grew more and more complex and stunning as her eyes traveled further up the skyline.

For an underground city it was surprisingly bright and Bella looked up to the high ceilings for the source of the mysterious light. The whole ceiling was shrouded in a thick mist of red and orange, the two colors slowly swirling together reminded Bella of the aurora borealis. It glowed brightly giving the city all the light it could ever need.

Bella looked away from the wonder of it all to see Will's reaction. He was smiling happily at the sight of his home.

"Wow," Bella said simply and Will nodded in agreement. And after that brief moment of utter amazement, they continued walking much to her chagrin.

As Bella walked through the city she noticed that very few of the houses were occupied, her confusion showing enough for even Will to notice.

"Most people don't live in here anymore. They've all given up that you'd ever show up so most of them left long ago," Will said grimly.

"Do you think they'll come back once they know I'm here?" Bella asked, trying to make him feel better.

"Some will, but most won't. When we drink fountain water it not only makes us immortal, but it also makes up infertile for as long as we continue to drink it." Bella nodded. "And when some of our members left they didn't tell us where they went."

A glimmer ahead caught Bella's eye as she contemplated what he said. She strained her eyes to see. "Is that the fountain?" She asked as they reached a large space surrounded by four houses with a fountain in the middle.

"Yup." Will said as he brushed his hand against the base of the fountain feeling its familiar old grain. He grinned happily, finally at home for the first time in years.

The fountain was larger then any fountain Bella had seen before. It was at least two stories high and made of the same material as the rest of the city yet it was different. Each stone was engraved with small symbols that appeared to have been hand carved. Bella noticed that the mist that was lighting up the whole city was coming from the very top of the fountain.

"Let's keep going. We're almost at Will's house," Aaren said to

Bella and she pointed to a large house on the opposite side of the fountain. The front door opened and a black haired girl that looked to be eighteen came running out to hug Will. She was wearing the oddest clothes a short black and purple dress with various long necklaces layered around her hips and despite the strange look it was still very stylish.

"Who's that and what is she wearing?" Bella asked Aaren as she watched the two exchanged happy words.

"That's Trina, Will's little sister. Don't ask her where her mother is though. She died and Trina feels guilty because she died giving birth to her," Aaren paused, switching subjects, "And everyone down here dresses differently from modern society. We're cut of from other people so we just made up our own style, so if anything the three of us look out of place. You should see my wardrobe; it's crazy. Trina designs clothing; it's her favorite hobby and she's really good at it," Aaren stopped talking when Trina and Will walked over.

Trina stood staring at Bella analyzing every little thing trying to see what her brother saw in her before talking. "It's nice to finally meet you Bella." Trina said in a happy voice. "Will has told me so much about you." Trina said in a playful voice although she was completely serious. Will's face flushed, but before he could start shouting at his little sister Bella spoke.

"I'm sure they were all good things." Bella said trying to suppress her grin. Will glared at Trina, but she could see the happiness in his eyes.

Bella ignored the exchanged and walked past them to get a better view of Will's house. Will walked up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. At first Bella pulled away slightly, not feeling comfortable with such close contact, but when her movement registered in her mind she stopped.

"That's my family's house." Will pointed to the house Trina had run out of earlier. "That house is vacated. The family moved away in the third big migration in the 1800s. The house opposite mine is the Moors." He said with an undertone of anger.

"You don't like the Moors?" Bella asked picking up on the look in his eyes.

"The Moors in general are good people. It's their youngest son I don't like." Trina cut in.

"You just don't like Elliot because we are dating. If I remember correctly you, Elliot, and Eli use to be inseparable before you went to collage. If I hadn't told you over the phone about our relationship you'd already be over at his house talking." Will chose to ignore his little sister. Will turned his attention back to the houses.

"And this house," He said to Bella while point to the most luxurious of the four houses that surrounded the fountain. "is yours."

Bella approached the largest house out of the four houses that made up the square. It definitely had a regal feel to it. She noticed as she touched the door that it had the same engravings as the fountain, but she was able to easily push open the large stone door.

"Well, if changing the water didn't prove it then this does," Aaren mumbled from behind her.

"Proves what?" Bella asked while staring at the interior of the dusty house. It was beautiful.

"No one since the last patron disappeared has been able to open this door or any of the windows." Bella nodded distractedly and walked into the house cautiously. A sound to her left made her jump backwards.

A grey ball of fur had made a yawning noise.

"What's that?" Bella asked Will who was looking equally perplexed.

"I have no idea."

The ball of fur suddenly moved on its golden pillow unfurling to reveal a small grey cat with a dark blue collar. It stretched out its little legs and let out a low purr before setting its eyes on Bella.

Bella leaned down to pick it up only to see the cat run into another room. She followed after him into a grand room. The floor was covered by pillows like the one in the entrance and a comfortable looking sofa in the back corner. The cat had stopped near the entrance letting Bella pick him up. She looked at the tag on its collar only to find it blank.

"I thought you said no one has been able to get in here for years?" Bella questioned Will.

"Maybe he's been in here the whole time," Will said while looking intently at the cat, "Let's look at the rest of the house." Bella nodded and lead the way. There were many rooms in the three story house, though most were rooms like the one Bella had first entered. Hidden among these though were a library, a study, an outdated kitchen, three spacious bedrooms, and even an art room.

While Will and Bella were on the top floor looking at all the old art work in the art room Bella spotted Trina and a boy making out by the fountain. She tried to close the curtains so Will wouldn't see them, but in her haste she managed to yank down the curtain rod which of course landed on her foot.

"Don't worry I'm fine." Bella said as Will walked over to check on her.

"You sure?" Will leaned down to look at her foot. "Here let me see."

He took off her shoe to examine her foot. It was slightly red, but not bruised, and there was no sign of a break or a sprain. Bella slipped her shoe back on as Will stood up. When Bella looked back up she saw him glaring out the window with his fists clenched.

"Relax Will. She's a big girl. She can make her own responsible decisions." Will calmed down as Bella placed her hand on his shoulder although his eyes never left the couple. After several minutes he looked away to Bella who was looking at a half painted canvas.

"You know I use to paint." Will said as he examined the painting.

"I'm jealous. I was never an artist, nor an athlete. I wasn't even a scholar. I was just…average. Always just average." Bella said on a sad note. Will stepped forward and engulfed Bella in a hug, hoping to cheer her up.

"You're anything but average to me." Bella held onto Will feeling a little awkward but enjoying being held. Will let her go only after taking a deep breath of her scent and committing it to memory. Bella went over to the window again to look at the fountain.

"About the fountain Will," Bella paused, "How much blood do I need to give for it to work?" A worried expression cam over her, for even though the thought had occurred to her on the stairwell, it didn't hit home until just then.

"Don't worry Bella," Will said in a comforting voice, "It's not a lot. Just a few drops at most every month. We can do it now if you like."

Bella nodded and headed to the square, stopping in the kitchen to grab a knife.

The square was empty except for the cat that had followed the two of them out of the house. Without hesitation Bella cut her hand and a small stream of blood flowed down her fingertips into the water. The water changed color on contact and the new silver color spread like wild fire through the water. The red and orange mist that was coming out of the top of the fountain had changed colors as well to a blue with green shades scattered about.

A few people crept out of their houses when they noticed the change. Trina and her boyfriend were one of the many who had come outside and she spotted Bella quickly, running over with the boy from earlier in tow.

"Bella, this is Elliot." Trina held hands with Elliot as she introduced them. Elliot was the same height as Trina with dark brown hair that had copper undertones. Elliot smiled at Bella and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you. I never thought that in my lifetime I would be able to meet the patron." He smiled in wonder while looking at the silvery waters and blue mists. The cat came into his line of vision and jumped onto the ledge of the fountain and dipped its head down gracefully to the silvery water. He lapped up the water with slow easy strokes of his rough tongue. "Did you. . .?" Bella nodded.

"Yes, the fountain of youth has been reborn," Bella said in a fake ominous voice then laughed before mimicking the cat's movement and walked over to the fountain. She cupped her hands together and brought the liquid to her lips.

As it passed her lips a slow sensations grew in the pit of her stomach. It was the same feeling she got when she had been in a steaming hot tub only to jump into a freezing pool seconds later, a shock to the system. Bella didn't start though. Instead she watched her reflection in the still water that was the equivalent of a mirror. Scars disappeared before her eyes and bruises faded to the same pale color as her skin. Bella looked down at her last remaining scar, the vampire bite, James' bite. She flinched. The cold that use to permeate from it seemed to retreat back to the scar.

It seemed that the fountains' water couldn't fix all things.

Various people, including Will, Trina, and Elliot, followed her example. As they wet their whistles Bella stepped back and leaned against the Moors' house, waiting for everyone else to join her. Trina was the first one to walk over.

"Elliot and I were about to watch a movie before we noticed the mist. Would you like to join us?" Trina asked as she took the free space beside her.

"Is Will coming with us?" Bella asked.

"No, Will is going home to email all the known descendents of people who use to live here. Then if they want to come back they know they're welcomed." Bella nodded in understanding and followed Trina into Elliot's house and Elliot walked through the door not even a minute after.

All three headed down to the basement of the house which was decked out as a home theater. Bella took the small sofa that was right in front of the TV while Trina and Elliot shared a loveseat slightly to the left of hers.

The movie was one Bella had never heard of. The actors were tacky and the plot line was cheesy, but Bella still enjoyed the movie.

Halfway through the smell of popcorn came wafting down from the upstairs and Bella figured Will had finished his work. Bella turned her attention back to the movie figuring Will would know they were in the basement.

Bella peaked up again from her reclined position when she heard footsteps walking down the steps. Bella's eyes widened when she saw a man around her age walk down the stairs. His hair was the same coppery brown as Elliot's, but that wasn't the only feature of him that reminded Bella of someone she knew: he had the same chiseled jaw and lips as Edward.

"It's about time you woke up Eli." Elliot said while looking at his older brother. "You know major things have happened since you went to sleep." Eli rolled his eyes while still standing at the base of the stairs.

"I doubt that. Nothing down here changes except for the date." Eli said as he walked forward to take the seemingly empty sofa. He stopped when he saw Bella laying down on it. "Well hello, I've never seen you in our little city before."

Bella sat up and straitened her shirt before replying, "You've probably never seen me since I've never been here before," Bella said wittily,

"I'm Bella Swan." Eli smiled and sat beside her on the small sofa leaving no room between them.

"I'm Eli Moors. Popcorn?" He offered and Bella smiled despite the sickening resemblance he had and took a handful of popcorn.

"So is this your usual breakfast?" Bella whispered as not to disturb the two who were watching the movie. She popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth.

"Yup, I like waking up to something crunchy in the morning."

"Then why don't you just eat cereal? Isn't it crunchy enough for you?" Bella asked while tossing a piece of popcorn into the air trying to catch it in her mouth. She missed and hit her eye. Eli laughed and reached down to pick it up off the floor the same time Bella did. Their hands brushed and a shock ran through Bella. A shock she had only felt with one other person. She looked up to see him looking back at her. Bella looked away and picked up the piece of popcorn quickly. She sat up and put the befouled popcorn on the coffee table. There was an awkward pause before Bella spoke again. "So is cereal not crunchy enough for you?"

Eli looked away from the TV he had been looking at without watching. That was the problem with living in such a sheltered community, there was not enough interaction with outsiders to know what to do in an awkward situation.

"Ahh, actually it's perfectly crunchy at first, but after a minute of sitting in milk it becomes too soggy for my taste." He took another handful of popcorn from the bowl. "So how did you end up here?"

"Kidnapped." Bella said simply as if it was no big deal.

"What?"

"I was kidnapped," She said in the same voice as before, but this time she elaborated, "Will, his father, and Aaren kidnapped me. What's so hard to believe about that?" Bella tried fighting the laughter bubbling up in her gut from the look on his face, but she couldn't suppress it.

"Trina, why did your brother and father kidnap Bella?" Eli asked as

Bella's laughter ebbed away.

Elliot answered for Trina. "They kidnapped her because she's the patron," He said off handedly.

"You're the" Bella nodded not liking the sudden amazement in his eyes as if she was a celebrity, but then his eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Thank you."

Bella looked at him surprised. "For what?"

"For saving my brother." Bella looked to Trina not knowing what Eli was talking about. Elliot was looking down at the floor and Trina was holding onto Elliot's arm tightly. "He had cancer, but now that you've come he's going to be alright." Then without warning Eli leaned over and kissed Bella on the lips. "Thank you so much." He said again as he pulled away.

"Uh, yeah, you're welcome." Bella said, completely stunned and guessing this was probably how Will felt after she had kissed him suddenly at the hotel. Bella turned her attention back to the movie feeling the need to distract herself. In her peripheral vision she saw Eli do the same.

The movie went off a half an hour later and Elliot popped in another one.

"I'm going to go get some more popcorn does anyone want anything else?"

Eli announced.

"Yeah, can you get me a soda or something?" Elliot asked, "And the fountain of youth is working. You should probably go take a drink, just in case." Eli nodded and went upstairs.

Elliot started some retro shooting game on the TV while waiting and Trina and Bella watched the pixilated blood gush out of the enemy.

"You guys finish the movie already?" A disappointed voice asked from behind Bella.

"Yeah Will, but we are going to start up another one as soon as Eli gets back down here with some more popcorn." Elliot said without looking away from his game.

Will walked around the sofa and took the seat next to Bella.

"Sorry Will, Eli is sitting here." Bella said without thinking. She didn't see the frown on his face as he sat on the floor leaning against the arm rest of the couch that was closest to her.

Elliot turned off his game and put in another video and Eli finally returned as the last preview was ending. Will glared at Eli as he took his seat beside Bella and even offered to share a blanket that he brought down with Bella.

Will kept glancing back every few minutes at the two of them trying to figure out what, if anything, could of happened between them in the short amount of time he had been gone.

Eli noticed his continuous peeking a little bit into the movie. "What's up Will? You want some popcorn or something? Bella and I have had our fill." Will glared, but it went unnoticed in the dim light of the television set as Eli handed him the half empty popcorn bowl.

Will tried to concentrate on the movie in front of him, but that only made him notice what was going on, on the other seat. His sister and Elliot were cuddled up whispering into each other's ear. He concealed the look of disgust and anger on his face and went upstairs to grab a cup of water.

He walked downstairs quite a while later, calmed down just enough to make it through the movie but the credits were rolling and Eli's arm was slung around Bella's shoulders. He breathed deeply and held in the anger and jealousy, a thing he had seemed to be doing a lot of as of lately.

Will walked back up the stairs without anyone noticing that he had even been there to begin with.

**I can't believe fanfic gliched like that the day after I posted the last chapter it wouldn't let anyone review. So if you tried reviewing please try again. Even if you didn't try review that chapter and this one please. **

**You know I've left over one-thousand reviews. You guys should try to beat my score. . . Maybe you should leave a review for this chapter. I mean everyone has to start somewhere. . . **


	13. When it Rains, Water Falls

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**Thank you ColourBlue.**

Chapter 12: When it Rains, Water Falls

September 16, 2007

Bella laughed silently at the end of the second movie.

'_Eli was right,_' Bella thought to herself, '_The movie's ending was hilarious._'

She glanced down at the sleeping form next to her. Eli had wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a half awake state, using it as leverage for his bobbing head from when he had first drifted off. He looked peaceful; so much so that Bella didn't have the heart to wake him up. Unfortunately, his brother did.

"Eli, how much do you need to sleep?" Elliot shouted and Eli's head jerked up to attention. "Can't you go two hours without sleeping?"

Elliot asked, this time at a more normal volume, and Eli's only reply was a loud yawn coupled with the cracking of the bones in his back.

"I think I should probably go before Will comes back down here looking for me," Trina announced after seeing it was passed midnight.

"I should get going too." Bella said goodbye to the two brothers and then followed Trina out of the house. They split up outside and Bella walked to her own house while Trina headed towards hers.

Something felt different to Bella as she walked. She couldn't identify it.

She looked up without thinking hoping to see the night sky, but only saw the mist. It looked thinner and dimmer then it had earlier and Bella wondered if it did that every night.

Bella stopped right at the door to her house and felt its coldness beneath her fingers. She couldn't consider this place a home yet. It was still too foreign feeling to her. She pushed open the large door and walked in. The room felt different now, the whole house felt different, now that she was alone.

Ignoring the feeling, Bella headed upstairs to the master bedroom looking forward to the bed that would surely be there.

The master bedroom was larger then any room she had lived in before. It had a large window with a window seat and heavy satin curtains, their reddish tone shimmering in the night's faint light. The floor was stone like the rest of the house and a large cream colored rug (desperately in need of a good vacuuming) covered much of it. The large bed was the same color burgundy as the curtains. There was also a wardrobe in a deep dark red cherry finish and a door that she believed lead to a bathroom.

Bella opened the wardrobe hoping to find something to wear to bed.

Surprisingly everything in there looked like it would fit her perfectly so she pulled out a short blue dress that looked to be comfortable.

Bella walked into the bathroom not wanting to bother with the trying to close the heavy curtains and changed into the dress. It fit her rather snugly, but much to Bella's chagrin the neckline was rather low. A quick glance back into the wardrobe revealed an unfortunate truth: all the tops were low cut.

A soft purring startled Bella as she looked at herself in the mirror. She opened the door and saw the cat from before sitting on the bed licking its paw. The cat looked up when Bella walked over to the bed and lifted the sheet so she could slide under. The cat just looked at her as if he was expecting her to do more.

Bella rolled over so she couldn't see its piercing eyes on her, yet she could still feel them on the back of her neck.

Eventually Bella fell into a light sleep filled with worries and hopes.

* * *

Bella woke up the next morning well rested and relaxed. She noticed that light was streaming into her room from the window. She turned over, stretching to see if the cat was still sitting on her bed. Still half asleep, she began to pet his soft fur while mulling over what had happened as of late.

After lazing about for a half an hour Bella finally got up. She went into the bathroom to take a shower and found that it had surprisingly good facilities, especially considering how old the house seemed.

Bella's shower was quick and soothing. Walking out of the bathroom, she headed back to the wardrobe and began to lazily peruse the contents again in search for a slightly less suggestive dress. As her previous attempts had shown, no such dress existed so she was forced to settle on another tight fitting dress with a low cut scoop neck.

After combing her hair with an old fashion sterling silver hair brush she walked over to the window where the cat was perched.

"What's your name kitty?" Bella cooed into the cat's ear. She started naming off names hoping the cat would react to one. None caught his attention. "Well I think I'll have to name you myself." Bella thought for a minute. The name Edward passed through her mind more then once, but she knew that would be too much of a reminder. She settled on the name Charlie. "Charlie it is then. That's a very special name to me so you better not let me regret giving it to you." The cat just looked at her as if she was crazy.

Bella looked out the large window and could see to the other end of the city, which looked surprisingly peaceful given all that had happened. Much to Bella's surprise she could see people coming down the stairs to enter the city, and as she followed the crowd of people with her eyes she eventually came upon the fountain which was crowded by dozens and dozens of people hoping to drink from it.

A blond girl spotted Bella and pointed her out, but before Bella could be seen by others she hid behind the curtain. She walked down the two flights of stairs that led to the bottom floor and turned left, opting for the less noticeable and quieter backdoor.

No one seemed to notice her as she walked out into the square and over to Will's house. She knocked on the door and it was opened moments later by someone Bella hadn't seen in quite a while.

"Professor Vine?" Bella asked stunned. A head popped up from behind

Professor Vine and pulled Bella into the door before he could answer.

"I forgot you met my Uncle Warren," Trina said as she pulled Bella into the kitchen with Professor Vine following behind them. Will was eating cereal and reading a rather thick book. "You want a bowl of cereal?" Trina asked, the question being enough to jolt Will from his book and finally take notice of Bella's presence.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Trina pulled Bella upstairs before she could say good morning to Will.

Trina's room was completely purple except for some random trinkets here and there and a few bolts of fabric in the corner.

"So tell me all about yourself Bella." Trina said as she sat herself on her bed. Bella sat across from her in a plushy purple chair.

"There is really nothing to tell," Bella said lying to Trina. "My life was pretty boring up until this point."

Trina frowned at her vagueness. "That can't be all Bella. How many boyfriends have you had? I'm sure it was a lot."

"None worth mentioning." Bella laughed coldly. "So what about you? How many boyfriends have you had?" Bella asked thinking that the question was a bit childish, yet still fun.

"Only Elliot, but Will use to say I was married to the sewing machine since that is where I spent most of my time. And speaking of which, Bella you should let me make a few outfits for you."

"Yes, that would be fine. This clothes I found in one of the wardrobes are a bit too revealing for my taste anyways." Bella tugged at the neckline as if to prove a point. "You know that cat that was in my house when I first opened it?" Bella asked and Trina nodded. "Well I decided to keep it. Do you know where I can find some cat food or something to feed it with?"

"Yeah there is a market on the West side of the city. I need to get some new thread. I can take you with me if you want."

"That would be great. Thanks Trina."

"Don't worry about it." Trina stood from her bed and rifled around in one of her drawers until she found a small satchel. They headed back downstairs. Will was still eating and Professor Vine was no where to be seen.

"Where are you two going?" Will asked as he put down his spoon.

"We're going to the market. Do you need anything while I'm there?"

Will thought to himself for a second before replying.

"No, I don't need anything, but ask Uncle Warren. He might need something," Will said without looking at Bella, instead opting for the small puddle of milk at the bottom of his bowl. Bella looked at him questioningly, wondering what his problem was and Trina remained oblivious to what was going on.

The two headed out after checking in with Trina's uncle.

"What's wrong with your brother?" Bella asked once she was out of earshot of both the men in the house.

"I don't know. He has been like that since I came back from watching movies at Elliot's house. I guess he finally understands that Elliot and I are going to be together whether he likes it or not." Bella nodded and followed behind Trina as she walked outside. Looking across the square, Bella noticed that there was a growing pile of things in front her house.

"What is she doing?" Bella asked as she watched a woman put down an expensive looking bottle of wine in front of her door. Trina looked to where Bella was pointing.

"I think they're giving you thank you gifts," Trina said in a surprised voice, "Come on though, we need to get moving," she said after they saw another person put down a gift.

The walk to the market was longer then Bella expected. To make it worse many people were headed in the opposite direction, making the streets a hassle to walk through, so Bella and Trina had to resort to taking the back routes.

The market was two blocks wide of homemade stands selling everything and anything. Some things looked homemade while others appeared to be more common things one could find in any grocery store.

Trina headed straight for one of the shops that sold grocery store items. She bought a large bag of cat food.

"We should have brought Will. This bag is heavy," Bella muttered to herself as she lugged the big bag, leaning most of the weight onto her right hip. They had visited more then three stores and Trina was still not done looking at threads.

"I think I might have a solution for that." A voice said from behind

Bella as the weight was lifted. Bella turned around and saw Eli holding the bag.

"Hey." She said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just looking for ingredients for Elliot. He's going to surprise

Trina with homemade dinner and since he was cleaning the house I volunteered to pick them up for him." Bella's heart twitched painfully at how nice Elliot was to his girlfriend, but she didn't show it. "I was just about to head back home. You should come back with me. Trina takes forever with anything having to do with making clothes." He laughed to himself and Bella looked over at Trina. She was comparing two spools of thread that looked exactly the same to her.

"Good idea; just let me go tell her." Bella walked over to Trina and told her she was leaving. Trina only responded with a curt nod, distracted by some lace trim. "Thanks for saving me. I would have been here all day." Bella said once she was back by Eli.

"No problem, I've been in that position before. Trina use to drag us all to the market just to carry things back for her, but then Trina started dating my brother so I stopped going with them to the market, but Will would go with them just to keep an eye on the two of them. Then Will went off to college and I haven't been to the market with any of them since." Eli said in sad voice as they walked down the crowded streets.

"That's sad. Why didn't you go to college with Will or get a girlfriend for yourself?" Bella asked. Eli glanced down twice at Bella before answering.

"I never went to college because I knew I was going to live down here my whole life. And about the girlfriend thing well…" he paused then messed with the stubble on his chin. "It just never came up," he mumbled and picked up his speed.

Bella smiled at how cute he was acting and picked up her speed as well in an attempt to catch up with the taller and more long legged man. The rest of their walk was silent except for the occasional bit of chatter.

"Hey you want to come over after you drop off your groceries?" Bella asked when they finally arrived at the square.

"Yeah, that would be cool. I've always wanted to see the inside of that place anyways."

Bella glanced at her house. The pile of gifts had doubled in size since she had left for the market.

"Make sure you come in the backdoor okay?" Eli looked at her house and nodded in understanding.

A few minutes after Bella had gotten into her house and fed her cat, a knock came from the backdoor.

"Wow. This is your house?" Eli asked as he stepped into the house with his hands in his pockets.

Bella shrugged. "I guess it is my house, but its not home quite yet. I haven't had enough time to really settle in or clean up the place." Bella ran her finger over the top of a wooden chair. Her finger was covered with dust.

"I can help you clean if you like?" Eli offered and Bella eyed him suspiciously.

"You must be some sort of guy to offer to help clean someone else's house. But you're my guest. I can't let you do manual labor in my house.

Anyways you've already helped me enough today by carrying the cat food for me."

"So what do you want to do then?" Eli asked.

"I don't know," Bella said as she plopped down onto one of the many couches in her house, "I really just wanted someone to come over.

Immortality is rather boring when you have nothing to do."

"You're telling me?" Eli took the seat across from her. "I've lived in this place since the day I was born. Nothing happened down here until you came along." Bella blushed a bit and looked down. A glint of silver under the small woodened table between Bella and Eli caught her eye. She bent down without saying a word and retrieved the small object.

It was a tarnished silver necklace. Bella rubbed the small gem on the pendant as Eli watched in interest. After getting it somewhat clean, she squinted and tried to read the small words engraved on it.

"Can you read what this says?" Bella handed Eli the necklace. He looked at it for a moment before handing it back to Bella.

"Well uh," Eli rubbed the stubble on his chin again and Bella figured it was his version of blushing. "It says Two Sins Twisted into One."

"And what does that mean?" Bella asked and Eli reached up for his chin again, but stopped himself.

"You know how the fountain water makes us immortal and infertile?" He asked and Bella nodded. "So back in the day before the original patron disappeared mind you this is just what I was told so I don't know how much of it is true." Bella urged him to continue. "Well since sex had no consequence it was a common thing," he began in a hurried voice.

"So how is that two sins?" Bella asked trying to break up the awkwardness in the room. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"Oh, the other one was drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. Everyone was constantly on something. But no one was actually addicted unless they wanted to be." Eli assessed the look on Bella's face. "What did you think it was going to be something barbaric like drinking blood, Bella? It's not like we're vampires or something," he said jokingly. Bella stiffened and a knock came from the front door. Bella's posture relaxed as she stood and headed for the door, stopping at the door to add a quick comment to Eli's last statement.

"Don't be silly Eli. Vampires don't exist." but Bella didn't hear his reply as she cracked open the front door to find Will standing on her porch.

"Hey Bella, I was hoping you were home. Would you like to go to lunch with me?" he asked as he shifted from one foot to the other. Distractedly Bella wondered how long it took Will to move all the gifts in order to make his way to her door.

"I'm sorry Will maybe another time. I have a guest right now." Bella said as she started to close the door, but Will's hand stopped it.

"Oh is Trina here? Elliot was looking for her earlier." He asked still holding the door open. Bella could feel curious glances from people around the fountain. She positioned herself away from their prying eyes.

"No, actually she's still at the market. Eli is here with me and I'd rather not keep him waiting. I'll see you later okay Will?" Will didn't seem to register what she said at first, but then he let go of the door slowly and stepped back. Bella watched him walk back to his house. Before closing the door Bella leaned over and picked up a bottle of wine. When she looked up she saw various people looking at her and a few men looking at her chest. She cursed the previous owner of the dress and slammed the door closed.

"Who was at the door?" Eli asked when Bella came back with two wineglasses and an opened bottle of wine. Eli was playing with the cat, but when Bella sat down the cat jumped over to her seat.

"It was Will, he was looking for Trina. I told him she was still at the market." Eli nodded and took the wine from Bella and filled the two glasses full. He handed Bella her wine glass and their fingers brushed. Another electric shock passed between them.

"I haven't had good wine since the last time Will brought some back."

Eli took another sip of the wine. "Where did you get it?"

"People are leaving gifts at my door. I might as well use them." Bella smiled. "I think it is foolish. They don't even know me. For all they know I could be a horrible person." Bella swirled the red liquid in her glass before setting it on the table beside the necklace.

"I don't think it's foolish. You're saving lives. Of course they want to thank you. I want to thank you. I would hate to have thought of what would have happened if you hadn't come along. Elliot is my only family. I don't know what I would have done without him."

"What happened to the rest of your family?" Bella asked warily hoping she wouldn't make him sad. She took a sip of her wine as Eli sighed, making her instantly regret asking the question

"My parents went to Italy when Elliot and I were younger. They never came back. I had to raise Elliot practically all by myself. I think he turned out alright though."

"He turned out better then alright. Or at least Trina thinks so. I never really had a childhood either. My mother was a harebrain so I ended up being the adult in most situations. But that doesn't matter now. It's not like I'll ever see her again or anything." Bella said in a steady voice as she played with the cat's tail.

"Life is unfair. I think we've both seen that." Bella nodded at

Eli's words and the two of them both drifted off into there own thoughts for a few minutes until Bella spoke up and broke the comfortable silence.

"Well enough of all these depressing thoughts. I think I'll have another glass of wine and then head upstairs to look through the library. You should give the rest of the wine to Elliot. I'm sure it will go great with that dinner he's making for Trina." Eli nodded and refilled Bella's glass before picking up the bottle of wine and heading for the backdoor.

"Hey Bella?" Eli asked as Bella stood. "Trina and Elliot are probably going to be making all kinds of noise tonight so I was wondering if I could crash here."

"Sure, no problem. Just take any spare room you want. I have more then enough." Bella watched Eli leave and made her way to the library. A few minutes later she heard him reenter her house and into the guest room directly below hers.

Half the books Bella looked through were in different languages that she couldn't understand. She settled on a dusty book about a war.

After reading in a comfy chair by a window for more then an hour Bella heard a knocking from the front door. Bella woke up Charlie from his cat nap as she stood to go get the door.

"Hey I forgot to get your measurements." Trina said as Bella let her in.

Trina started measuring Bella from all angles. Afterwards Trina told Bella about all the different outfits she'd make, but Bella just told her to make what ever she wanted.

Nothing much else happened that day for Bella other then having to carry in three loads of gifts with the help of Eli.

* * *

Through out the next few days many people flocked to the city and to the fountain. Bella was amazed by how the city came back to life. It was almost as if the fountain was the city's lifeblood, as well as that of its citizens.

Bella sat up from her seat on the floor. It was some time in early October, but she wasn't sure of the exact date. She had holed herself up in her house with only Charlie her cat for company not taking interest in anything happening outside of her house for over a week.

The only time her solitude was broken was when either Eli or Trina dropped in. Will oddly enough never stopped by for a visit.

Much to Bella's surprise the mist that lit the city also provided water. It had been raining nonstop for the past two days and it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. It reminded Bella of Forks.

Bella walked into the pouring rain without an umbrella deciding a walk would be nice. It was nighttime and therefore the streets were practically empty.

Bella pulled her long cloak closer to her. It was another one of the many items Bella had found in the many wardrobes throughout her house. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it as she sat on the fountain edge.

Wet footsteps alerted her of another's presence. Whoever it was sat down next to her and suddenly the rain stopped. Looking up, Bella saw Eli holding a large umbrella over both their heads.

"I didn't know you smoked." Eli said as he pulled back Bella's hood to look at her face in the dim light that reflected off the fountain's water.

"I used to, but since I drank from the fountain I've had no craving for them." Bella snuffed out the embers of the cigarette.

"So then why are you sitting in the cold rain smoking?" Eli watched the small stream of smoke disperse.

"I'm not smoking them. I'm just watching them burn," Bella said and lit another of the cigarettes. Eli took the rest of the pack and set them on fire as well.

"You're unhappy," Eli stated as they watched the small fire.

"So are you." Bella countered.

"Not anymore." He said spinning the umbrella making the water on top of it go flying outwards.

"And what has made you happy?" Bella asked curiously.

"You," Eli said simply before sweeping downwards and kissing Bella.


	14. A Tracker Tracking a Tracker Tracking

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**Thank you ColourBlue! (I love saying that.)**

**I felt we needed to see how Edward was doing after he killed Trent so I went back a little for it.**

Chapter 13: A Tracker Tracking a Tracker Tracking

September 18, 2007

Edward stood over the dead body in shock. Neither he nor his family knew what  
to do next.

"He didn't know anything," Jasper said as he felt the human's emotions simply disappear, as if there was never anything to begin with. As if finally realizing what was in front of him, Edward stumbled backwards away from yet another one of his sins.

"I-I" Edward stuttered. Carlisle stepped forward with his lips pursed in a tight line, the same look he had on his face the day Edward had told him he was going to drink human blood. Cautiously, Carlisle placed his hand on Edward's shoulder in an attempt to comfort his foster son.

"We need to leave before anyone comes looking for him. Do you hear anyone thinking about us or the man?" Carlisle asked in a low voice to his family, all of whom were frozen like statues. Edward tried hearing the thoughts from the distant funeral, but he couldn't concentrate with the dead body just staring at him. The man's eyes seemed to follow him as he tried harder and harder to pick up the thoughts. Noticing his dilemma, Carlisle looked to Alice

"Alice what do you see?" Alice closed her eyes for a minute.

"I see Charlie looking around after the funeral, but eventually giving up his search. I see us heading to New York and then…nothing," Alice said, panicking as the last part came out of her mouth.

"What do you mean you see nothing?" Rosalie said in a harsh voice.

"I can't see! I just can't see! Everything past the point we leave Forks is black. I can't get a reading off what will happen here, almost as if Forks is swept into a black hole or something." Hearing this last part, Jasper sent off calming waves in an attempt to soothe the group. Unfortunately, they reached everyone but Edward.

"We should leave. The house in New York is probably the best option. Alice, Jasper: go to our house here and clean it out completely. Nothing is to be left behind; make it look like we never lived here. Emmett, Rosalie: go to the school and hospital and destroy any and all records of us. Pictures, folders, old newspapers, everything. Edward you're coming with Esme and me to New York to get the house set up and work on the new paperwork." Everyone nodded but Edward.

"No, I can't go. I need to find Victoria and Laurent and kill them," Edward said, covering up his self disgust with anger for the two vampires that had killed his only love.

"If Edward's going on a hunt then I'm going too," Emmett said not wanting to miss even an ounce of the action. Alice stepped forward as well. Carlisle sighed, he'd had a feeling this would happen.

"I know that is important to you Edward. It's important to all of us too. But we need to deal with our current situation first." Carlisle glanced at the dead body near them making Edward cringe.

"I know Carlisle, but you don't really need me to clean the house in New York. Every moment I waste Victoria and Laurent are out there living while Bella is somewhere up in heaven before her time. I can't let them keep killing innocent people. I need to know what happened to Bella. I need to kill them Carlisle. It's the only way." Edward started choking up and grasping at his hair.

"Don't worry Edward. We'll get them," Emmett said, feeling confident in his ability to fight.

"Will we Alice?" Edward asked desperately.

"No decisions have been made yet," Alice said with a sigh. Edward nodded understandingly; he knew the limitations of her gift.

"I think you need to relax for a while. After all, we've all been through a tragedy. But in the end, it's your decision Edward. If you go after them, we'll back you up one hundred percent," Esme said giving Edward a loving look.

"I'm going to go after them," Edward said in a finalizing voice.

* * *

September 18, 2007

Leah glanced at the clock checking the time once again, her breathing becoming shallower and her stomach clenched tightly.

'_He had said he'd only be an hour,_' Leah thought to herself as she nervously grasped the wet towel beside her. She had just taken an hour long shower in an attempt to pass the time. She was hoping that Trent would be back by the time she got out.

Another hour passed as Leah read, or at least tried to read. The feeling in the pit of her stomach seemed to worsen with each tick, her nervousness only getting worse. Tonight was the night she would tell him the truth. The truth about what she was, a monster, an abomination, only bested in unnaturalness by vampires. She was a werewolf, a forsaken creature that was grotesque in her own eyes.

She decided to call him. The phone rang three times before it went to his voice mail, same as every other time. She left a brief message asking if everything was going okay with his meeting.

Her cell phone rang three hours later and Leah scurried to get it.

"Hello?" She asked in a sigh.

"Leah where were you last night. Sam is pissed. You were supposed to be patrolling the border. He went over to your house looking for you and your mom said you were down at La Push. Where the hell were you?" Paul asked, his voice reaching a yell by the last question.

Leah sighed, annoyed at him and his ill temperament.

"Oh shut up! I'll talk to Sam and explain everything to him." Leah snapped the phone shut without waiting for his reply.

She wrote a quick note to Trent saying that she was going out and would be back by nightfall.

Leah walked casually into the forest near the hotel. She stripped down and morphed into her werewolf self. She was immediately bombarded by the others' thoughts.

'_A new dress? No, Emily would hate that as a gift. What should I get her?' _Sam noticed the appearance of Leah's thoughts. '_Damn it where were you yesterday? You know the Cullens are around. Why would you just abandon your post like that?_' Sam roared in her head.

'_I'm sorry Sam. I was. . ._' Leah's train of thought stopped when an image flashed into Sam's mind. An image Leah didn't want to accept. The image of Trent's dead body sprawled out on the forest floor.

'_Leah get down here now! I found a dead man and I smell vampire on him._' Leah's breath came in short gasps and she started shaking.

'_What's wrong?_' Jacob asked, just now morphing.

'_Change back to a human Jake and call the rest of the pack. Tell them to morph. We have a problem._' Jacob's thoughts disappeared as he changed back to a human. '_Leah come on. I need back up. Those bloodsuckers could still be in the area._'

Leah didn't hear him. Her breathing was too shallow. Her heart beat grew louder and louder as she lied to herself about the dead body. She started to black out, but she stopped herself with a large gasp of air. She turned back into a human and curled up into a ball, lying naked on the moist forest floor in an attempt to hide from the truth. She tried controlling her breath, but the gasps only became worse.

* * *

Leah's little brother Seth found her the same position hours later. When she saw his familiar face she immediately zoomed out of her crippling depression and into a reality of rage. Her wolf form burst forward with a tremendous force as she started running toward her pack mates with Seth close behind. She didn't hear all their thoughts. She was too focused on killing any vampire that crossed her path.

The trail of her fellow pack mates broke into three different paths. She followed Sam's scent and found him with Quil sniffing the ground and air.

'_Where are those bloodsuckers?_' Leah asked Sam and Quil in her mind. The two of them looked up at her frowning in their minds.

'_We've all lost their scents. It seems they were here a few hours ago, but the rain has washed the scents away,_' Quil thought sadly.

'_No, that can't be right. You idiots just aren't trying hard enough,_' Leah thought to herself, not meaning for the others to hear. She searched high and low for any trace they may have missed, scouring the entire forest and in the end she found nothing.

A familiar scent passed through her nose as she was running back to her pack mates in defeat. She ran to it hoping that the image she saw in Sam's head was wrong. As she got closer dread started seeping into her eyes. She couldn't hear a heartbeat.

Trent came into the line of her vision. No one had bothered to move him out of the pouring rain. His skin was pale and as Leah got closer she could see he wasn't breathing. She changed to a human mid stride and fell to his side. She pawed at his collar hoping to feel his pulse. There was nothing.

He felt so cold under her warm skin.

Slow tears ran down her face as her pack mates walked in. They had known something was going on with Leah, but they never thought that she had been seeing someone.

Leah cried out in agony, filling the whole forest with her pain.

She was without love once again.

* * *

September 30, 2007

The tracking was going fairly well, mostly due to Alice's and Emmett's help. Emmett's skills at tracking and hunting as a human had carried over into his vampirism and Alice's foresight gave them a great advantage.

They were close, so close that Edward could smell Victoria's disgusting scent. She couldn't have passed through here more than an hour ago.

Emmett and Alice trailed slightly behind Edward as he picked up his speed. A flash of red hair caught Edward's eye as he was tackled to the ground from his left.

Victoria clawed at Edward's face and chest, before Emmett grabbed her by the hair and threw her against a tree. Alice was immediately on her, trying to tear her to shreds.

"Don't kill her," Edward said as he stood with his shirt tattered and deep gashes covering his chest, "not yet at least," Alice and Emmett held her down.

"Where is Laurent?" Edward roared into her face, wanting to kill both of the murderers.

Victoria hissed at Edward, spitting venom onto his face. "I'm not telling you anything." Her thoughts spoke of nothing other than her hatred of Edward and his human. Edward stomped down on her leg, breaking it with sheer force. Victoria screamed loudly and Alice cringed.

"Where is Laurent?" He asked again leaning his weight onto the leg as it tried to heal itself. Victoria screamed again.

"I haven't seen him since we hunted your precious human." Even in pain Victoria could be spiteful and vindictive. Edward lashed out in anger hitting the ground beside her head.

"Why did you kill Bella? I'm the one who killed James, not her." Victoria looked at Edward for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"I didn't kill your little pet! Are you sure you didn't just snap her neck because she wouldn't blow you anymore! Or maybe it was her man on the side!" Victoria started laughing again. Her thoughts were filled with the echoing of her laughter. She knew nothing.

"Kill her," Edward said in a dead voice while walking away from her. Victoria's shrieks filled the air as she was ripped to shreds. Soon after, smoke filled the air.

**Oh gosh! I wanted to end this one saying "Ding dong . . . the witch was dead." N-E-ways, I put out a new one-shot. It is about Bella and Edward getting a divorce. It has a nice little twist at the end. New story for story of the week posted at the top of my profile. Review please.**


	15. A Joint for Your Thoughts?

Disclaimer: Me no own

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**Thank you ColourBlue! You're one cool Beta. (I sound like a dork, haha.)**

Chapter 14: A Joint for Your Thoughts?

October 21, 2007

Bella put on another one of Trina's homemade dresses. It fit her perfectly, just as the last six she had made did. Twisting her hair up in a loose bun, Bella walked out of the bathroom and to the full length mirror in her room.

Bella examined herself in the mirror. She looked healthy, flushed, breathing she was alive. Her fingers brushed against her plump cheek and then fingered the skin around her eyes. Her eyes held the same look as the rest of her, content; maybe even happy for the first time in a long time.

Sounds downstairs alerted her of her guest's presence. Knowing whoever it was wouldn't cause trouble she took a moment to do a final wardrobe check before heading downstairs, her steps making no noise whatsoever.

"Hey, I didn't think you'd get here so soon." Eli jumped at the sound of Bella's voice. He turned around smiling and Bella immediately walked into his open arms and Eli placed a soft kiss on her lips.

'_So gentle_,' Bella mused as she gazed into his eyes after they had pulled apart.

"You know the whole city wants to meet you," Eli whispered into Bella's ear, his warm breath tickling the hair on the back of her neck.

"That doesn't mean I want to meet them," Bella whispered back making him shiver in delight.

"Regardless of that Bella, you haven't been out of the house in weeks," Eli said, looking sadly down at her.

"I went out three days ago to refresh the fountain of youth." Eli rolled his eyes at her.

"Walking twenty feet in the middle of the night to cut your hand does not count as getting out of the house, even if it is for the good of the city."

Bella sighed at his words. She knew he was right she just didn't want to leave her new sanctuary. Why would she? Bella had everything she could need in here. Fountain water was in one of her pantries, if she ever felt the need to eat there were plenty of gifts to munch off, the library provided plenty of entertainment, her cat provided a constant company, and if that company wasn't enough Eli came over practically everyday to see her.

"I'll go out, but I'm not introducing myself to anyone. They don't need to know me. They just need to know that there is someone keeping them alive," Bella said stubbornly. Eli smiled expecting just as much. "Is there any place in particular you want to go?"

"I was thinking we could go on a formal date. No one needs to know who you are. There are so many new people down here that you won't seem out of the ordinary." Bella nodded taking his hand as he led her out the backdoor. The mist was just starting to dim as day turned to night. Eli led Bella to the south side of the city. It was a couple of miles walk, but ever since Bella drank from the fountain of youth things like this didn't make her tired. Only memories had that effect on her now, so she avoided them as much as possible.

After a pleasant walk they arrived at Eli's restaurant of choice. The place was packed, except for the bar. Eli was disappointed that he couldn't give Bella the small romantic dinner that he envisioned in his mind. He sighed.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked sitting down. Eli took the barstool beside her.

"Nothing, I'm just glad I finally got you out of that house," He joked picking up his menu covering his face.

"I've never heard of any of these dishes or drinks," Bella said after a minute of scanning her own menu. Eli laughed and took the menu from Bella.

"I'll choose something for you Bella," Eli said kindly. He ordered two different dishes for them but the same drinks. They talked for a while before the food came. Bella took a bite of the pasta dish in front of her before melting in her seat.

"This is delicious." She said in between bites.

"I thought you would like it." Bella smiled looking down at her plate. When she looked up she saw Eli smiling at her.

Eli and Bella continued eating as people came and went through the restaurant.

An elderly woman walked up to Bella and Eli after they were done eating and were just sitting at the bar, drinking and talking.

"Eli, how are you and your brother? I haven't seen in you since you graduated," The elderly woman said.

"Elliot and I are fine. We just haven't had anytime to stop in back at our old high school, sorry Ms. Castor." She smiled at him and patted his head.

"That's quite alright, Eli." Ms. Castor glanced at Bella. "And who is your lovely friend?"

"This is Bella. She moved down here when she found out the fountain was activated." Eli tried changing the subject away from Bella. "Ms. Castor have you drank from the fountain yet?"

"No, I don't think I ever will either. I've lived my life out and there is not much meaning to prolonging my death without my Henry here." Ms. Castor's eyes glazed over a little bit. "I found my true love. Now that he's gone I doubt that I will ever find anyone that could replace him in my heart." Bella could feel anger bubbling up in her. She bit her lip trying  
not to shout at the woman. Her words defied everything that was keeping Bella going.

Ms. Castor left before Bella could do anything that she would regret. Eli paid the bill and they started walking again.

"So who was she?" Bella asked only after she got her anger under control.

"Ms. Castor was my 12th grade teacher. Actually she's the only 12th grade teacher in the city. She's a nice old lady. I'm a bit sad that she didn't drink from the fountain, but some people just give up too soon not knowing what great things are out there," Eli mused. Bella squeezed his hand; he had no idea how comforting his words could be.

It was dark in the city, yet there was still people milling about.

"It's hard to believe that this city was practically deserted not too long ago." Eli nodded and it started drizzling over head. Bella pulled on Eli's hand as she started to run towards his house. They got there not too long afterwards; although, their clothing was barely damp.

"I don't see why we had to run here. It's not even raining that hard," Eli said as he closed the door behind them.

"Maybe I just wanted to get you alone." Bella said as she walked closer to him. She pulled him down to her height and her lips came dangerously close to his. Right before a familiar electricity could pass between them a sound interrupted them.

"I'm sorry," Will said as he picked up the empty cup he had dropped, "You guys startled me." Bella backed away from Eli slightly and Will started making his way back to the basement.

"What are you doing here, Will?" Eli asked, annoyed that he had interrupted them.

"We're celebrating Erika's arrival downstairs. She just got here not even five minutes ago." Bella's eyes brightened at Erika's name. Will walked back downstairs.

"Come on, Eli. I haven't seen Erika since college." Bella started pulling Eli towards the stairs.

"You know Erika?" Eli asked wondering if the amazing woman in front of him could ever amaze him more.

"Yeah, she was my roommate when I went to college before I was kicked out." Eli looked surprised and stopped Bella's walking putting together pieces.

"You do know that she planted drugs in your room so that you'd be kicked out of college right?" Bella nodded.

"I figured that out a while back. I don't hold it against her though. She was just protecting Will. I wouldn't be surprised if those two ended up together." Eli scoffed.

"I doubt it. When Erika was younger she had a huge crush on Will, but her feelings were unrequited. Will has never liked a girl in his life; at least none that I've heard of anyways." Bella frowned.

"Well I hope they get together," Bella mumbled as the two walked downstairs.

The basement was filled with smoke and Bella could tell by the smell that it was marijuana. She remembered the first time she tried it in her senior year of high school with some kids in Seattle. She had liked the feeling it gave her, but she never saw the kids again and didn't feel like looking for someone to sell some to her.

Bella spotted Erika and Trina talking while they passed a joint between the two of them. Eli walked over to where Elliot and Will were playing on their play station.

"Bella, I've missed you so much." Erika's blond hair bobbed as she gave Bella a hug. "I'm so sorry I got you kicked out of college," She said into Bella's shoulder. Bella hugged her back.

"It's fine Erika. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here right now. So there is no need to be sorry." Erika gave Bella another squeeze before letting her go.

They walked over to Trina who had wondered to the small area in the basement that was used as a second kitchen. She was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They talked about unimportant things for hours until Bella felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Can I talk to you for a minute Bella?" Will asked. Bella glanced at Trina and Erika who were throwing water at each other and then to Eli and Elliot who were still playing video games. Bella nodded and followed Will to the upstairs kitchen.

Will paced around the kitchen looking anxious a few times before Bella broke the silence.

"Has your father called you back yet?" Bella asked remembering that Trina had been complaining about her father probably getting laid as many times as he could before he came back. Will didn't seem to hear her.

"How can you like him?" Will said, his voice filled with desperation.

"What are you talking about Will?" Bella knew full well what he was talking about, but she just didn't want to bring up the subject.

"I'm talking about Eli and you. What about us Bella? I felt something when we kissed."

Bella looked away from the pain clearly written on his face.

"You were drunk," She said as justification remembering the night she drove him back to his dorm after he had drank too much to drive.

"What about that time at the hotel?" Will said desperately scraping at anything that he could use to make Bella come back to him.

"Maybe I was drunk," Bella whispered more to herself then to Will, but he still heard.

"Bella." The desperation in his voice just seemed to increase tenfold. Bella looked up at him with her big doe eyes.

"Please Will, can't we just be friends. I really like Eli. He makes me happy. Please just let me be happy Will." Bella could see the tears that were trying to escape from Will's eyes. He breathed in deeply.

"If…if that's what you really want," He stuttered.

"It really is Will." Will stared at her a minute looking for even a hint of uncertainty and then over her shoulder. Bella turned around to see what he was staring at.

Eli stood at the entrance to the kitchen with an unidentifiable look in his eyes. Bella looked back at Will before walking to Eli's side and taking his hand. Will watched as they walked away.

"Why didn't you tell me that Will and you were once involved?" Eli asked once they were out of earshot.

"I didn't tell you because we were never involved. I don't even like him that way," Bella said as she grabbed an umbrella.

"Well he obviously likes you that way," Eli said indignantly. Bella wrapped her arms around Eli's neck and pulled him down to her level.

"Eli," Bella said in a hushed voice with her lips almost brushing his, "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I'm yours." She rested her forehead on his before placing a kiss on his lips and letting Eli see the truth in her eyes. He whispered a reply that Bella couldn't hear at first, but when she got back to her house and was alone with a glass of wine the words that meant so much became clear to her.

He had said that he was in love with her.

**Gag I hate fluff, but it worked with the story. Anyways guys WTF my reviews are going down. Is it me? Also hardly anyone checked at my one-shot which made me sad 'cause I really liked it. . . I feel so emo right now. . . Review B's and W's. **


	16. Oh How He Slips By

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. **

Chapter 15: Oh How He Slips By

October 21, 2007

All of Edward's senses were in complete disarray. They were either dulled beyond belief or enhanced past that of an average vampire.

His hearing was practically lost. Edward couldn't hear the hushed whispers of his family or the milling of hundreds of people as they went about their daily routines. He couldn't hear anything outside of his own thoughts, for they consumed him entirely.

The taste in his mouth was one of acid and remorse; A taste that couldn't be taken away by merely hunting. Nothing could take away such a taste.

The room he was living in smelled faintly of dust and nothingness. They were familiar scents, but they weren't the scent Edward wanted to smell.

He wanted Bella's scent to engulf him. He wanted to be smothered by it so that the rest of the world would fade away leaving him in a sweet torture that would surly kill him sooner then later. Of course, this intoxicating torment would be nothing compared to the bliss he once had when he was with Bella . . .

Edward's sense of touch was the worst. He wished that the only thing he could feel was the papers in his hands and the cotton that he wore, but the world was never that kind. Instead his throat burned from unuttered cries and various tries of clearing his throat trying to get rid of the pain that started somewhere deep in his heart and spread like a weed to the rest of his body. He could feel it in every cell in his body as each second clicked away in such a slow manner.

'_Time, how much time has it been since she left me?_' Edward asked to himself knowing full well that he was really the one to leave her. He wanted to believe that she chose to be free of him and that she chose to leave this world for the next by the hands of Victoria.

But he knew it wasn't true. He knew he was the cause of all things bad that happened in her life. He had slaughtered everything that was to be her future the second he had set his eyes on her that fateful day. Truly, he had tainted her bright world with his dark, gruesome presence. He was no better then the snake that tricked Eve; for he had surely killed an angel.

Edward's grip on the papers in his hands tightened. He watched the only light that penetrated his room. It was a thin beam that came from under his door. It suddenly darkened as two dainty shadows blocked a portion of the light judging whether or not they should enter the room.

This was a daily occurrence. Sometimes even an hourly occurrence. Half the time one of his family members would come knocking on his door; they all wanted to help him in one way or another, but Edward never accepted it. One time they even asked if he wanted to go to therapy. That little idea didn't bode well for the suggester. Edward ended up throwing one of the few pieces of furniture in his room at them.

The other half of the time they would just stand outside of his door not knowing what to say or what to do. Most of the time when this happened it was either Alice or Esme. They were the most persistent in the family. They were constantly coming around trying to comfort him, but only ending up reminding him of what he had lost.

The owner of the feet that cast the shadows made their decision. They walked away to another part of the house.

Edward let out a stale breath that he had been holding for who knows how long. Victoria's death had not been as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. If anything it had made him more hopeless. He had expected to find answers when he had confronted her, but with her death he only gained more questions.

Edward wondered if anything she said was true; she said she had nothing to do with Bella's death. Edward wiped away the thought. Victoria and Laurent were the only logical solution to who killed Bella. There was no one else who would commit such a sin against humanity.

Edward didn't even want to think about Laurent. He had called the Denali clan asking if he was still residing there after Victoria's death. They told him that Laurent had left a few months after he had arrived much to Irina's disappointment and they haven't seen him since. Alice couldn't even see him in any of her visions. Edward had a tried tracking him, but he couldn't find any traces of him anywhere in North America. He was practically untraceable.

Another sigh escaped Edward's lips. Edward looked down at the papers in his hands with the small amount of light that penetrated the room. They were all the records his family could find of what happened to Bella after they left.

The documents were anything they could find, from receipts to speeding tickets.

Edward looked at the piece of paper. It was a copy of Bella's senior year report card. Alice had stolen it from the college Bella went to. Bella's grades had plummeted within the week of when they had left. Her grades were barely above a D and teacher's comment were horrible describing Bella as a zombie or lifeless. Edward cringed away from the paper and hoped that the next one would be better.

The next paper was a parking ticket. It didn't tell Edward much except for that Bella was in Seattle on December 12, 2005. He put it down by the last document and picked up a pink slip of paper. It was an eviction notice.

Edward dropped it in surprise and held the brim of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in sadness. She had been evicted for drug possession. Edward couldn't believe that he had drove Bella to such extremes. She had been kicked out of college not even three months in.

Bella dropped off the map until August where she popped in Ohio buying an airline ticket to New York then a ticket back less then a week later.

The next paper chilled Edward to the bones. It was a missing person's police report. It had Charlie's recount of what happened the day Bella was kidnapped. It made Edward uneasy hearing about that day. He constantly wished that he could have been there to protect her.

A knock came from the door. Edward's head jerked up and he opened the door not trusting his own voice to work properly. He wondered how long it had been since he had used it last. Edward was temporarily blinded by the sudden light that flooded his room.

Alice walked in the room with a gloomy look on her face. She was holding something behind her back and wouldn't make eye contact with Edward.

"Uh, Edward, I was going through some of my old things and I found this," She pulled out a cream colored woman's sweater that Edward recognized, "and I thought that you might want it." She whispered.

Edward looked at the sweater for a long minute. He hesitantly rose up his hand level to the sweater. It was shaking. He placed his hand upon it just feeling the texture and gasped. His grip on the fabric tightened and his breath started to shake. Alice left the room with one last look of pity before closing the door.

Edward brought the fabric to his nose and inhaled deeply. The scent was faint, but it was still strong enough to make Edward fall to his knees. It smelled of _her_. It smelled of Bella. He gulped in the scent trying to pretend that it was Bella that he was holding so closely to him.

He pictured it in his mind as he lay on the floor.

Bella dressed in a blue sun dress. Both of them laying in the meadow just talking. Bella sleeping in his arms.

He could see it in his mind.

But then it all shattered as reality came smashing down on him. Bella was dead.

Edward curled up into the fetal position holding the sweater against his chest. The wrenching gut cries that he had been holding in for so long came pouring out. They echoed throughout the house, but they were nothing compared to the feelings that were stabbing at Edward's heart.

**Sorry if this has any mistakes. My Beta is on va-cay. Also sorry this is out a little late. My computer is at Best Buy 'cause it has a virus so I can only use my mother's when she's home. Next chapter is the big time skip! It's where the story starts picking up again. Review and make me a happy camper. Also my B-day is coming up soon!**


	17. It's Good to be the King

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**What would I do without you, ColourBlue? **

July 1, 2081 **(2 months and 14 days before prologue)**

Chapter 16: It's Good to be the King **(Old joke from a movie)**

Bella had been awake for a few hours now. It was at least eleven in the morning, but she felt the need to stay in bed. There was something chaining her to it (figuratively of course), and she knew perfectly well what it was: the wonderful man sleeping next to her.

Bella thought he looked adorable and funny, but didn't laugh out loud; not wanting to wake him, not yet at least.

She delicately traced the contours of his muscular back with her fingers as she looked down at him in thought.

She was contemplating an idea that she had been playing with for the past few weeks. Bella knew that if she went through with idea it would affect everyone in her city, but most of all it would affect her and the ones she held closest.

Bella's idea would shake the whole city up in a bad way. It's not that

Bella wanted to put her home in jeopardy, but rather that she was already bored with immortality. A thing she thought would never happen, yet immortals she once knew had warned her would.

Bella had everything any immortal being would pine for, but even with all those things everyday seemed to be the same as the last. No new people to meet. There wasn't even crime in the city other then a loiterer or two around the fountain. The world Bella lived in was not hard to figure out. It was a peaceful world where everyone had their own place in society and never wandered from it.

'_That's not true._' Bella corrected herself. Trina had taken a different course of action then everyone else. She had left the city with Elliot two years ago for Paris, along with a few tubs full of fountain water much to Bella's relief. After all, she didn't want such close friends of hers to fall from immortality and die.

Trina had gone to Paris to fulfill her life long dream of being a famous clothing designer. Her dream had succeeded according to postcards they sent and she was back in the city at the moment, but only for a visit.

The sleeping figure Bella had been stroking gently stirred a little and she took her hand away replacing it with a kiss. All that could be heard in the room was Bella's kisses and the soft purring of Charlie, Bella's cat who was still miraculously alive.

"Eli, my love," Bella said before placing another kiss on his back, making her way to his shoulder and neck, "get up." Eli squirmed and put the pillow over his head like a five year old. Bella laughed and slowly raked her nails downward from the base of his neck till she reached the waist band of his boxers. She pulled lightly on the elastic a few times playfully before pulling it back as far as she could get it and let it go. A loud snap resounded through the room followed by Eli jumping up.

"That was mean, Bella." Eli pouted.

"Not as mean as you ignoring me though," Bella said teasingly as she escaped the sheets of the bed. She looked back at Eli, his eyes were filled with lust and love, "I'm going to go take a shower. You can go back to sleep if you want, but I'm not waking you up again." Eli's response was to roll over encasing himself completely in a cocoon of blankets.

Bella turned on the shower keeping her hand under the tap until she found the perfect water temperature. Stepping into the steaming shower, Bella ran her fingers through her knotted hair and her usual bright eyes dulled for a moment. Her idea involved the Cullens; a usually taboo subject in Bella's own mind was now dominating her thoughts. It was a problem, she had never told anyone about the Cullens or vampires.

Bella's idea wasn't foolproof though. She could easily go through with her idea and get no results for years, if anything came from her plan.

By the time Bella had stepped out of the shower and had grabbed a towel she had made her decision. She would go through with her idea and leave the rest to the one thing that seemed to drive her whole life: fate.

When Bella walked back into the bedroom with the towel wrapped snuggly around her Eli was gone. Bella didn't waste a second glance at the bed. It was their routine.

Bella went to the large dresser and pulled out a bright red dress.

Trina had gone through a phase when she made nothing but Greek and Roman inspired clothes and the red dress in Bella's hands was one of the best that resulted from said phase.

Eli was doing one of his favorite hobbies when Bella made her way downstairs. It wasn't the manliest of hobbies like hunting or football, but Bella found his gardening endearing. It was rather convenient actually, he grew some of the most popular items at the market; things like tomatoes, peppers, marijuana, basically whatever he felt like growing he planted.

"The fountain needs to be replenished," Eli said off handedly as he watered a potted plant by the window. Bella nodded even though Eli wasn't facing her. Replenishing the fountain of youth with her own blood was Bella's only responsibility.

"I'll take care of it in a few minutes. I was feeling like cooking something up. It's been too long since the last time I cooked." Not having to eat normally does diminish the need for cooking. "Invite over your brother and Trina to eat with us since they're in town. I'm going to go to the market and get some ingredients," Bella said grabbing some of their rarely used money from a big cookie jar on the counter and a sharp stainless steel knife.

"What time should I tell them to come over?" Eli asked.

"Eight, it's going to be a late dinner. Also invite over Will; I haven't heard from him in a while," Bella said as she walked out the door.

Bella would never admit it, but she knew that Eli and she acted like an old married couple. They weren't technically married though, but they had lived together for years, long enough for the whole city to consider them married and off limits. Marriage just wasn't a common thing in the underground city. It was seen as unneeded since everyone knew everyone else's social lives.

The mist was brighter then usual as Bella walked towards the fountain. Every person she walked by greeted her in one way or another. The ones she considered friends came up to her and exchanged a few words; the ones she had met once or twice, but didn't find any interest in, waved or said hello. Then there were the strange few who actually bowed to her as if she was royalty. Those ones just made her laugh.

She sat on the edge of the fountain. Ignoring everyone around her, Bella took the knife and slit a small cut on her thumb. A few drops of blood went plummeting into the fountain. Bella always loved watching her blood react to the fountain water. Even after all this time she still found it amazing.

'_Damn_,' Bella thought as she picked up her bloodied knife, whipping it off on the hem of her dress and standing up to head to the market, '_I'm bored._'

* * *

Bella could hear Eli talking to Elliot and Trina in the other room as she finished cooking a meal fit for a five star restaurant. Will wasn't heard, but Bella knew he was in there. Over the years he had seemed to crawl back into his shell rarely leaving his house for anything. It was a slow descent that no one would notice unless they looked back at how he use to be. Unfortunately, no one did that, because in the underground (and the rest of the world), the future is always more important then the past.

The time Will once used for socializing was now used for honing an old talent of his. A talent that had filled a secret room in his house with his magnificent creations. His creations depicted people (one person in particular) he cared about. He had tried to keep it a secret, but Bella had found out about it through a series of random events.

Bella plated the food and called Eli into the kitchen to help her bring them to the dinner table. The meal was a happy affair with lots of compliments thrown at Bella for her cooking and lots of stories from Elliot and Trina. Dinner ended with a crème Brule.

They sat around the table for a while, drinking good wine and talking. Trina and Elliot were the first ones to leave followed shortly after by Will.

"Let me escort you to the door," Bella said to Will even though he knew full well where it was. They walked to the door in silence as Eli took the dirty dishes to the kitchen. "I need you to do me a favor," Bella whispered once they were at the door. She didn't know how Will was going to take her knowing about his talent that he had tried to hide so well.

"What is it Bella?" Will asked with a small glint of life in his voice.

Bella glanced in the direction of the kitchen. "I need you to make me a painting."

**On the 20****th**** I'm going to be heading to camp and I won't get back till the 9****th****. I don't know if I'll have access to the internet, but I'll try to keep updating. Also, to anyone who didn't get this chapter, go back and read the prologue. Leave a review and I'll try as hard as I can to update before I leave.**


	18. Memories Haunt Us

September 15, 2081 **(Date of the prologue)**

Chapter 17: Memories Haunt Us, But Lost Ones are Worst

Jasper could feel Alice's small nimble hands tousle his blond hair as he watched another hour of depressing news on the television. They were in their room, Jasper with his head on Alice's lap as they rested on their bed. Over time they had grown so comfortable with each other that she hadn't even noticed that she had started to curl Jasper's locks as she flipped through a magazine.

They heard a car nearing the house, though it was still quite a distance away, and Jasper felt excitement run through his wife. The Cullen family rarely had visitors so any car driving down their driveway that had a heartbeat inside of it was either a pleasant surprise or warning that they should run, and each time they hoped for the former of the two.

Alice put down her magazine and Jasper lifted his head, allowing her get up and see who it was. His head plopped down onto the bed at an odd angle as he lay back down and Alice went racing downstairs.

Eagerness engulfed Alice, simultaneously engulfing Jasper as Alice reached the door. The doorbell rang and the eagerness only grew until Jasper heard the door open. Then however, Alice's eagerness instantly turned to disappointment and Jasper sat up, wondering what could have brought down Alice's emotions so quickly.

Alice walked back in a few minutes later looking the same as usual.

"What happened?" Jasper asked muting the TV in the background. Alice sighed and belly flopped onto the bed as gracefully as anyone could ever belly flop.

"Nothing happened. I just thought that the doorbell was someone delivering something I ordered, but it wasn't." Alice pulled a pillow towards her and snuggled into it. "And I really wanted those shoes today." She mumbled into the pillow.

Jasper laughed at her antics and unmuted the TV. Alice rolled onto her back and placed her hand in his, giving her hand a squeeze, Jasper pulled her close to him.

The TV spewed out more bad news about the world's happenings and Jasper rubbed his forehead discreetly.

"Another headache?" Alice asked, pulling his hand away from his head.

"Yeah, it feels like a short one though." Jasper said in a low voice.

Alice nodded sadly in understanding.

Jasper's headaches were a common thing, unluckily brought on by depression, sadness, despair, basically any negative emotions that weren't Jasper's.

The headaches were a result of the constant pain that Edward suffered from. They diluted all the other feelings in the house; even his own.

An hour slowly passed and Jasper's headache faded to a dull throb.

The recognizable purr of Carlisle's car accompanied by the crunching of gravel alerted the rest of the Cullen's family that he was home.

"Carlisle, a package is in your office," Alice said from upstairs when he entered the house.

"Thank you, Alice," Carlisle replied. The house started to come alive with the movement of the family. Jasper picked up the remote and turned up the TV.

Alice cringed at a news article about a man who was neglected and nearly starved to death at an asylum. It always disturbed her not knowing all the details of her past at the asylum and anything relating to things that could of happened in the past. Blank spots in memories caused her to speculate, and speculation caused her imagination to run wild with possibilities. Jasper sensed her uneasiness and sent her enough calming waves to settle her down before she broke down completely. As Jasper was calming her down a shot of surprise ran through him and he accidentally sent it to Alice. Her shoulders lurched up and her head ducked down like a turtle trying to hide in its shell.

"Sorry," Jasper said in a hushed voice. Worry followed by amazement came from another source nearby. Jasper stood up from the bed and Alice looked at him confused. "Something is going on." Jasper answered her unasked question.

Jasper walked out of the room and Alice followed behind him curious and excited by the prospect of not already knowing what would happen.

Love and fear clogged the air. Jasper couldn't tell from whom the fear was coming from, but Jasper could identify who the love was coming from easily. It was nostalgic almost, like an old man eating a spoonful of a rare dish and having a flashback to when he was a child and his mother fed him the same food. Jasper knew who this love came from and who it was for, as he had felt it only between one couple during his entire lifetime: Bella and Edward.

More emotions tainted the taste in Jasper's mouth as he approached the source of the emotions: Carlisle's office. It was an odd combination; a mixture of hope and dread that blended together like milk and tea.

Jasper and Alice entered the room without knocking and found Carlisle and

Edward crowded around Carlisle's desk. Edward looked to have a death grip on a large, golden picture frame he was holding at eye level and Carlisle was standing behind him looking at the picture over his shoulder.

Alice's interest was peaked and she asked the question her husband was about to utter.

"What is that, Edward?" Edward didn't raise his eyes from the painting, nor did he respond.

"It's a…" Carlisle cleared his throat and shook his head as if he didn't believe what he was about to say, "It's a painting of…of Bella."

Alice didn't comprehend what Carlisle said until Jasper walked over to them to see the painting. He reached out to touch the painting, but when he got closer Edward let out a growl as if Jasper had a lighter in his hand and was about to torch it.

"It's alright, Edward. I just want to get a better look at it." Jasper reached out for it again and Edward let out another threatening growl. Jasper retracted his hand and thought about calming him down using his power, but then thought better of it.

"Edward," Carlisle said in a strict voice, finally getting his sense back, "let him see it." Edward stared at Carlisle for a moment before finally handing it to Jasper.

Jasper looked at the painting to see if it was authentic. He came to the conclusion that it truly was a masterpiece and that the artist who had painted it was obviously of a high caliber.

While Jasper was doing this Alice walked over to see it too, but she was too short to see. Jasper noticed her slight jumps and handed her the painting.

Alice analyzed the painting with saucer eyes. Almost impossibly her eyes widened to a new size for a fraction of a second before they went back to the way they had been.

"What was that, Alice?" Edward asked even though she hadn't said anything.

"What" Alice started, but Edward cut her off.

"What did you just think?" His voice was desperate as he walked closer to her. Jasper stepped in between them worried for his wife's safety.

"I didn't." Once again she was interrupted.

"You've seen those words before, Alice? Please tell me where you saw them." Edward's voice sunk to a new level of desperation as he pointed to the words on Bella's necklace, Two Sins Twisted into One.

"I…"

"Please, Alice, I'm your brother. Please tell me where you saw it."

Edward's breathing came in quick, short pants as he moved closer to Alice.

"I don't know, Edward," Alice said, panic running through her caused by the vampire that was breaking down in front of her, "I've seen it somewhere before. I know that much. The problem is, I don't remember where."

With those words Edward inhaled deeply and gave Alice a heart breaking stare before softly removing the painting from her hands and slowly walking to his room.

**I'm sending you this from a computer lab on Yale campus. Review please**


	19. TV and Me

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**What would I do without you, ColourBlue? **

September 22, 2081

Chapter 18: TV and Me

Alice sat in the downstairs room with Rosalie, who was watching the television. Alice had tried to focus on what she was watching, but she found herself unable to do so, the guilt plaguing her was too much of a distraction.

Jasper had said it was an unfound guilt and that she had nothing to feel guilty of to begin with, but Alice still felt it all the same. She felt guilty for not remembering where she had seen those words before. In truth, she was growing less sure of the fact that she had ever even seen those words before.

_Two Sins Twisted into One._ Every time she managed to focus on something else, those words popped into her head, and with them a slight feeling of recognition as if she had once read it in a fleeting glance and had never really thought about it after that.

The smell of nail polish stung her nose as she painted her toenails. She glanced at Rosalie. She had taken the news of the painting different then everyone else. Rosalie had thought it was some sick prank from Laurent, who they had never been able to track down and who Rosalie considered to be Bella's killer, though no one else felt the same.

Emmett had been as shocked as the rest of the family when the painting arrived.

Esme had experienced the same feelings of surprise, but eventually those feelings became dry sobs as she stared at the painting of her lost and long dead daughter; just another person hurt by someone else's wrong decision.

Alice blew on the fresh coat of nail polish as she though of Edward. He was in Atlanta, Georgia using all his tricks and skills trying to get into the UPS headquarters trying to gain any information he could about where the package came from.

From what Alice saw in her visions, he would get nowhere with his time consuming task.

'_It's good for him though._' Alice convinced herself. And in a way she was right. He was actually doing something with his existence compared to the nothingness he usually attended to. At least now he had a goal. '_It's going to be horrible when nothing comes from all his hard work and he comes home an even bigger wreck then usual._' The thought struck a cord in her heart and her jaw tightened.

Alice tightened the top of the nail polish and placed it on a side table. She leaned back and found a comfortable position in the nook of the couch. After a few minutes of looking at an empty space in the corner of the room Alice's eyes wandered to the TV.

Rosalie was watching a fashion show. Normally this would have entertained Alice, but her gloom didn't permit her to feel amused.

"It's a new collection," Rosalie said when she noticed Alice watching,

"I rather like it. The style is really revolutionizing the fashion industry. No more skinny, only eating half a saltine, self induced vomiting models." Alice cracked a pity smile for Rosalie's attempt at comedy.

Alice's eyes followed model after model as they sauntered out from backstage. If she was in a better mood she knew she would have been taking down the name of the designer.

The last model left the runway and a woman with a microphone, who looked like she could have been in the show, walked out.

Rosalie picked up the remote control to change the channel but Alice stopped her.

"Just wait a second, Rose." Alice said. Somewhere in the grey matter that made up her brain (most likely the hippocampus) something told her to not change the channel. After a minute of the women talking Alice spoke. "I've seen her before somewhere."

"Yeah you have," Rosalie said in a 'duh' sort of voice, "last time we watched one of her shows we were in Paris and you bought one of her dresses as soon as it went on sale. You remember it. It's the light blue one with the sleeves you love." Alice shook her head.

"No, it's something else. I remember her from that, but there was something else." Like a plug fitting into a socket, Alice's mind clicked and suddenly everything made sense.

"Rose do you still have any magazines from last season?" Alice asked biting her lip anxiously.

"Yeah, in my closet in the left corner there should be a pile of them."

Alice gave a quick thanks and ran upstairs.

When she got into the room Emmett was pulling up his pants after a warm shower. Alice paid no mind to him. Instead, she headed directly for Rosalie's closet.

She flipped though magazine after magazine until she found what she was looking for. When she finally did a low curse of happiness escaped her lips. Alice hand went to her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers automatically typed in a number.

"Edward?" Alice asked when the last number was typed in. The phone was still ringing. Her grip on the phone tightened until the ringtone was interrupted. "Edward?" She asked again. The intake of air Edward took to reply was all the answer Alice needed. "I know where I've read it before!" It took him a second to understand what she was talking about.

"Where Alice? Where did you read it before?" Edward asked in excitement.

It was the first positive thing that happened to him a long time.

"Just get a plane ticket to Paris and I'll explain it when the rest of the family and I join you there." Alice didn't wait for a reply. She snapped the phone shut and started preparing for travel.

* * *

Edward was easy to find in the airport the rest of the Cullen family had arrived in. His scent alone would have made it easy enough for him to be found by his fellow vampires, but even without his scent the mob of people that surrounded him just staring would give away his position every time.

Edward was shifting from one foot to the other when Emmett spotted him through the crowd. He waved widely and gave a half hearted smile. Emmett made his way through the people and to Edward.

"Edward, come on. We already have two rental cars lined up." Emmett said when he reached him. Edward nodded and followed him outside. When he saw Alice he ran over to her and stared questioning her.

"Alice please tell me we're close to where you saw those words." Edward said as the rest of the family loaded up their bags.

"I hope we are. Here look at this." Alice handed him the magazine she had been looking at when she called him.

Edward took the magazine wondering what she was talking about. It was already flipped open to a page. It was just a picture of a woman and a small article about her inspiration for designing.

"What am I suppose to be seeing here, Alice?" Anger was slowly creeping into his voice. For all he knew he could have already found the one piece of information that could of broken this little mystery if he was still at the UPS headquarters instead of wasting his time here.

Alice took the magazine from his hands and pointed to the woman's neck.

"Look at her necklace Edward. Look what it says on it." Edward took the magazine back and looked at the small silver necklace in the picture. At first it didn't look out of the ordinary, but when he looked at the details of it the necklace was anything but ordinary. In each link of the chain that went around her neck there was a word. And if Edward put all the words together it repeated what was engraved on the pendent Bella wore in the painting. "And look at what the article says." Alice said after letting him process the information.

"She refuses to wear anything that she doesn't design . . ." Edward's eyes met Alice's. "And she has a show tonight." Alice smiled widely.

"Alice, please tell me we have tickets for that show."

"Even better, I have tickets and exclusive backstage passes!" Alice said in her high pitched voice as she flashed them the tickets and passes.

Edward ran up to Alice and gave her a big hug. It was the most positive emotion he had shown since, well, they really couldn't remember since when.

* * *

The Cullen clan arrived at the fashion show just as it was beginning. They were all dress in high fashion outfits, trying to fit in with the crowd. Unfortunately, it didn't work as planned, as it only made them look more like models than they already did.

They took their seats in one of the middle rows.

Edward was distracted during the show knowing that the designer wouldn't come on stage until the end of the show.

He kept on flipping open his wallet to look at the picture of Bella that was stored inside.

A nudge at his side brought Edward back from his longing gazes.

"And I hope you all enjoyed my collection." The designer said and applause followed her speech. Cameras flashed everywhere and Edward frowned. He couldn't tell if she was wearing the same necklace as she was in the photo in the magazine.

Jasper nudged Edward again and tilted his head towards the left of the stage. A large bodyguard was standing in front of a door that led to backstage.

They walked over to the husky man and showed him their backstage passes. He moved out of their way and pointed them in the right direction.

The backstage was filled with hairstylists, makeup artists, and half naked models changing into their everyday clothes. It reeked of hairspray, dust, alcohol, and stomach acid an unpleasant combination by any standards. Stereos were blaring the newest French songs and everything looked chaotic.

"You must be the Chesterfields." An over worked woman with a clipboard and headset said. Edward looked at her confused.

"Yes, that's us." Alice said to the woman then gave a reassuring nod to her family. The followed the woman to another room. The designer from the magazine was sitting at a table drinking from a water bottle and looking at different fabrics.

"Oh," She said when she noticed them, "you all must be the family that made that generous donation to my charity." She didn't seem phased by their cold skin as she shook each of their hands. "I'm Trina."

"Hello Trina. I'm Alice." Alice said taking the initiative. "We were happy to donate to such a worthy cause and it was so nice of you to give us these free tickets. It was a very unexpected surprise." Emmett chuckled silently beside her.

"Well I just had to meet such nice people. I've never seen such a large donation that wasn't from a large company." Trina said sitting down and making a hand motion for them to sit down too.

"So tell me," A sly look made its way onto Alice's face, "what gives you inspiration for all of your designs?" Trina laughed.

"You sound like a reporter." Trina's voice was light hearted, knowing that they weren't. Her publicist had done a background check on them. A background check completely fabricated by Jasper. "My designs are just a combination of things I like and things from my childhood put together to create something new."

"Really," Alice asked liking her answer, "so tell me," she pulled out the picture in the magazine, "what part of your childhood did this necklace come from?"

Trina looked at the picture for a minute in silence.

"I don't know. I must have just seen it in passing." Trina said while giving it back to Alice.

"You're lying." Edward accused. Trina looked at him sharply.

"I think it's about time you all left." Her voice had an angry undertone as she pulled out a cigarette.

"I think it's about time you told us the truth." Edward quipped back.

She didn't reply. Instead, she stood up and started heading for the door.

Carlisle nodded at Emmett and in a flash he was in front of Trina, blocking her way out. He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Let go of me you big oaf!" Trina started hitting him on his back.

"Someone help me!" When she figured her hitting him wasn't helping she screamed, but no one could hear her over the loud music in the other room.

Carlisle sighed and pulled a small, lethal looking syringe out of his pocket. Seeing it, Trina only began to struggle more.

As the liquid entered her bloodstream, Trina's sight started to fade. The last thing she heard before she fell into a black oblivion was a calming female voice whisper to her.

"We're not going to hurt you."

**Okay, so I diffidently thought that Breaking Dawn sucked. It was pretty cliché. In my opinion it was every Breaking Dawn fanfic I've read smashed together. The only difference was that Breaking Dawn actually was professionally edited. I was sorely disappointed. **

**Also, review! Last chapter was lacking them. **


	20. A Blur Here, A Blur There

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.**

**ColourBlue I owe you!**

September 23, 2081

Chapter 19: A Blur Here, A Blur There

The middle of the woods was far from foreign to the Cullens, but for some reason the forest that Trina had led them to felt different to them, setting them all on edge. The fact that they were assured that it was not a trap via use of their powers did little to ease the tension.

The air had a different feel to it then it usually did; it was thicker here for some reason, and it had an odd scent to it. And the rain that was pelting down from the night sky didn't help either; it was making them all hear imaginary noises.

A snapping to the right made Edward whip his head around. There was nothing there. He looked back at his family. Their thoughts told him that they had heard nothing, so he shook it off and continued walking.

Trina, the woman that seemed to have all the secrets was spinning her umbrella in her hands causing water to fly everywhere. Edward could tell she was still nervous even though they had all reassured her that they wouldn't hurt her.

Some of her thoughts confused Edward. Most of the time they were random seeming nonsense to him, but sometimes her thoughts would flash to technology that one of her generation would have never used and events that were only current to those who were in their fifties or sixties by now.

Caught up in his thoughts, Edward accidentally stepped in a puddle, muddying up his shoes. He didn't care though; he wasn't using an umbrella like the rest of his family was, so all of his clothing was already soaked through.

A thought crossed through Trina's head catching Edward's attention. He ran up to Trina startling the rest of his family.

"Who was that man?" Edward asked still in shock.

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen anyone other then you all since you kidnapped me." Trina started spinning her umbrella faster.

"That man you were just thinking about?" The man flashed in her thought again and she started backing away from Edward.

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about," Trina said backing up into Esme.

"That man," Edward said with a growl in his voice, "who is he?" Trina cringed.

"He was my father!" She shouted in fear.

Shock resonated through Edward's body. The man Trina had been thinking about looked identical to the man Edward had accidentally murdered the last time his family had been in Forks.

Edward slowed his walking till he was at the back of the group.

"What was that about, Edward?" Carlisle said too quietly for human ears.

"She was thinking about her father. He looked like . . . well more resembled," Edward didn't know how to phrase it, "He looked like that man I killed in Forks. But it can't be him. She's too young to be his daughter." Old guilt flooded Edward's body.

A large object ahead caught the eyes of the Cullen family. It was still too far away for human eyes to see. To Edward's eyes it was blurred by the rain, but as they got closer it became more defined. It was a large gate.

"This is it," Trina said, "I would unlock it for you, but since I was kidnapped I don't have my key." A smug smile curved her lips upwards.

"Well, maybe we'll get lucky and it will be unlocked," Rosalie said as she walked up to the gate. She pulled at it once lightly, but when she found it to be locked she yanked it hard, breaking the lock. She opened the large gate and the smug smile fell off of Trina's face. "I guess it was unlocked."

* * *

Bella struggled to clasp her necklace together. Eli took the delicate chain of metal from her and put it together.

"I've always thought you had nimbler fingers then me," Bella said playfully. Eli smiled and placed a kiss on her neck.

"I must argue with you on that, Bella." He kissed her again. "You're fingers can be very nimble when you want them to be. And your lips! Don't even get me started on your lips!" Bella blushed and Eli laughed.

To shut him up Bella kissed him roughly. They began making their way to a couch when a loud knocking on there front door interrupted them. They ignored it at first, but when it persisted they had to stop.

Eli begrudgingly zipped up his pants and went to get the door.

"What?" He asked annoyed as he opened the front door. It was Preston, a man that lived down the street and ran a barbershop. Eli adjusted his voice to a more pleasant tone. "What is it?"

"You need to get Bella to someplace safe!" Preston said in a panicked voice, "There are a bunch of outsiders storming the city. We're trying to stop them, but they're too much." Eli closed the door without saying anything and locked both of its locks.

"Bella," There was no response, "Bella!" He shouted again and got the same results. He ran upstairs looking for her. She wasn't in the room they had been in just moments ago. He shouted her name once more.

"Why are you shouting, Eli? I'm right here." Bella said as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Bella," Eli breathed out a sigh of relief, "you need to hide. There are people in the city who we don't know. I'd be safer for us all if you were hidden away." Bella nodded and Eli took her by the hand leading her to one of the uppermost spare bedrooms. It looked like all the other rooms, except it was hard to see the door to the closet because it was blocked from view by a large bookshelf. Eli moved the bookshelf and put Bella in the closet. "I'll come get you when those people are taken care of." Before Bella could respond Eli had closed the door.

The closet was dark, but spacious enough for Bella to lie down in. Her mind started wondering. She hadn't expected the Cullens to find her city so soon. Of course, she wasn't for sure if it was the Cullens, as it could just be a coincidence.

If it was the Cullens though, she knew they'd be able to track her to her house quite quickly if they were in the city. She was sure her scent was probably just oozing from it. But if it wasn't them, it would be safest just to stay were she was.

Bella rolled on her side annoyed at the fact that either way she'd have to be stuck inside the small room.

It seemed as though an eternity had passed and Bella began to fidget from being so bored. She couldn't hear any noises coming from outside of her closet, and for all she knew everyone could be dead.

Another unbearable length of time went by. By now Bella was counting in different languages just to see how high she could get.

Finally, boredom overcame her and she stood up.

'Death is better then this.' Bella thought to herself jokingly as she opened the door. Thankfully it opened inwardly so the only thing blocking her path now was the bookshelf. She pushed at it trying to move it to the side, but ended up pushing it onto the floor making a large crashing noise. Bella flinched and waited for Eli to come running upstairs to see what all the noise was about, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Bella walked to the window and looked outside. Everything looked fine from where she was standing.

Bella went downstairs hoping to see something that would give her new information on what was going. Bella sighed when she found nothing.

As she was passing by a window to head back upstairs she spotted Eli outside sitting by the fountain. A smile graced her face and she walked out of the house to tell him to go inside with her.

"Eli." Eli looked up at her surprised. "Tell me what's going on. You can't just stick me in a closet and expect me not to have questions,"

Bella said as an excuse.

Eli was about to say something when something over Bella's shoulder caught his eye. Before Bella could look to see what it was, Eli pulled her by the arm behind him protectively.

Bella looked over his shoulder to see a blur running towards them. A blur with bronze hair.

**Review and I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. Also check out the one shot I just put up.**


	21. Rainbows have no Start or End

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**I have no idea where my Beta is so I edited this myself. **

Chapter 20: Rainbows have no Start or End

September 23, 2081

"I guess it was unlocked." Rosalie grinned cheekily holding the broken lock in her hand.

Emmett laughed and kissed Rosalie on the cheek. Edward was the first one to walk through the large gate. As he took the first step on the spiral stairwell he stumbled. Esme ran up to his side, steadying him.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Esme ask helping him sit down on the stairs. He put his head in his hands and let out a whimper. "Edward, talk to me." Esme said in a motherly tone.

"Smell, I can smell her." Edward said breathing in deeply. Esme put her hand on his back trying to comfort him. She sniffed the air slowly taking in all the scents.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't smell anything." She started rubbing his shoulder. "Edward, I need you to understand something. This could all just be a wild goose chase. I don't want you to get your hopes up just to be disappointed." Edward shook his head denying her words.

"I can smell her, Esme. She's so close I can smell her." Esme looked at Carlisle pleadingly. He walked over to Edward and pulled him up.

"Come on, Edward. We can't be for sure until we go look for ourselves." The way Carlisle was speaking reminded Edward of how he had first talked to him right after his transformation into a vampire.

Edward didn't respond to him. He put his hand against the wall as he tried to regain his composure. Edward knew that the wall beneath his hand should feel cold. It would to anyone normal, that is, anyone who wasn't a vampire.

"Let's just go." Edward said controlling the emotion in his voice. They started walking down the stairwell.

Bend after bend the stairs continued.

"How much longer?" Emmett asked getting bored of the same scenery.

"We're closer to the top then we are to the bottom." Trina said from the middle of the group.

"Carlisle," Emmett complained, "can we just run. This is taking forever. Esme can stay here with Trina." He paused and looked at Esme. "If that's alright with you, Esme." He added on.

Carlisle looked at Esme after finding the answer in her eyes he agreed with Emmett's idea.

They started running at a human pace leaving Esme and Trina behind. As soon as they reached the next bend in the stairwell they picked up speed. In mere seconds they had reached the bottom.

They stood there taking in the sight of the great city. It was even more marvelous in the eyes of a vampire then those of humans. It surprised them that something so massive could be hidden so well.

The Cullen family split up, each going there own way to search without saying a word to each other.

Edward stumbled around not knowing which way to go; the city was a maze with just as many twists as it had turns. Every other turn he made led him to a dead end. Also, it didn't help that Bella's scent was everywhere. It was driving him crazy and making him lightheaded.

A man who looked to be in his twenties, but was really elderly by normal standards was sitting in front of his house when Edward walked out of a dead end alleyway.

The man had seen every face in the large city he lived in and knew that the one before him was an outsider.

Edward didn't even notice the man as he waked by. His mind was too set on finding Bella. Just the thought of her was making his head reel. If he didn't know better he would have thought that he was in his own version of hell where the thing he wanted most was always just out of reach, taunting and teasing him.

'_I probable died in a fire_,' Edward thought to himself as he almost ran into another dead end, '_a fire I set myself_.' A familiar sense of regret washed over him. '_I hope no one else was hurt in my recklessness_.'

Edward slowed down again and looked around at his surroundings. They looked the same as everywhere else he had been.

The sounds of gears clicking and a heartbeat alerted Edward of a human's presence. He turned around to see a human man just as a loud bang erupted and the smell of gunpowder permeated the air.

Edward could see the bullet as it exited the gun, heading straight for the spot right in between his eyes. He lifted up his hand and easily plucked it right out of the air. All of this happened in less then a second, not permitting the human eye to see the fast movements. From the perspective of the man who had fired the gun it looked like he had just missed.

Edward tossed the smashed bullet to the side. As the man was getting ready to fire again Edward took off in a flash. When the man looked up again Edward was gone.

Edward turned a corner passing a group of human. One of the humans was telling the rest of the group that there were intruders in the city.

Familiar sounding thoughts entered Edward's head. He looked around and saw Jasper sniffing the air.

"Have you found anything yet?" Edward asked wringing his hands together to keep the anxiety from building up.

"Nothing yet, but I smell _her_." Jasper sniffed the air again. Edward gave the smallest of twitches at the word her, then nodded. They both went in the directions they were previously heading.

Edward ran like a mouse in a maze, following the scent of his favorite cheese, except, most mice can't jump over the wall when they hit a dead end.

The scent grew stronger as he neared the heart of the city. They excitement and hope that was mixing and swirling inside Edward made him feel like his heart could restart at any second.

A name that no one spoke in the Cullen household caught Edward's attention. Someone was thinking about his Bella. The inner voice was masculine and sounded on edge. He was thinking about how he had locked Bella in a closet.

Edward's speed picked up to an unheard of pace. He had only run this fast before once in his undead life, and that time too, was to Bella.

The man's thought were easy to follow. Edward could tell he was close. With one last turn his eyes were on the man, but only for a split second. His eyes were pulled to the brunette woman standing in front of the man with her back to Edward.

Edward was paralyzed. That form, that figure, the way she stood. Everything about her was familiar to Edward. It was Bella.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his paralysis. The man had grabbed Bella's arm and was roughly pulling her behind him.

Anger flared up in Edward and he could feel his eyes growing black. Without his consent his feet started running towards the man. It was like his body was working on autopilot, he had no control.

It was pure instinct that made Edward plunge his hand into the man's stomach causing blood to stream out like a waterfall during the rainy season. Any vampire would do the same thing for his mate if he saw them being attacked.

The man clutched at his stomach as Edward retracted his hand. He looked at the man as his self control started coming back. The man's eyes were wide with surprise and his mouth was gulping for air. A small stream of blood trickled down from his lips to his chin.

Edward's bloodied hand started shaking and he took a step away from the dying man. The man took one last gulp of air and fell over sideways onto the cold, hard stone floor.

'_This was a horrible idea_.' Bella thought as the sound of Eli's body falling seemed to echo. Emotions of sadness and utter pain that Bella had not felt in over eighty years started bubbling up once again. Tears burned at her eyes and her vision of Eli's blood that was still leaking out blurred.

"You idiot," Bella whispered, "you fucking idiot." Her voice became louder and she ran to the fountain that was thankfully close. Bella started scooping up handfuls of water and tried to funnel it into Eli's mouth.

"Bella." Edward said softly, but Bella didn't hear him. He took a step forward.

"Get the fuck away from me." Bella hissed.

Edward stepped back into his original position stunned, not knowing what to do. He didn't even know what to think. All he knew was that he had sufficiently silenced the man's heart.

What was really confusing him though was why Bella was leaning over the man that had just moved her so violently. She was even crying over the dead man and hysterically trying to give him water.

"Bella." Edward said once again, but this time in a confused manner.

"Shut up, you stupid asshole." Bella fed Eli another handful of water. She pressed down on his wound hoping to stop anymore blood from escaping. The gaping hole that was Eli's stomach felt like it was getting colder.

Bella ran back to the fountain. In one last act of desperation she grabbed as much water as her cupped hands could hold and dropped it directly on Eli's wound.

From Edward's perspective it looked like the workings of a crazy woman. That is until he heard a faint rhythmic sound. He looked down at the man and to his surprise the man's chest started moving up as the man sucked in life giving air then spit it back out. Edward looked at the wound he had inflicted in confusion wondering if it had just been his imagination. But it wasn't, the wound was healing itself as Bella put more and more water from the fountain on it.

From a distance Edward saw Carlisle closely followed by Jasper. Carlisle quickly took in the situation only pausing momentarily when he saw Bella. He ran up beside the man and let the doctor side of him take over.

A few minutes went by as Carlisle worked quickly and Jasper stood by Edward staring at Bella.

"He's going to be alright." Carlisle uttered. Bella let out a sigh of relief and placed a kiss on Eli's blood stained lips. She gave a small thank you to Carlisle then turned to Edward.

"You arrogant son of a bitch!" Bella said in a menacing voice startling Carlisle. "Why do you always have to ruin everything you touch?" Tears of sadness were replaced with those of anger. She started marching towards him with angry strides, completely ignoring the figure next to him.

Edward just stood there. He could see the anger in her eyes that were about to be in her fists. No one in the Cullen family had ever seen Bella act out in anger, so when she did hit Edward on the chest he stumbled backwards.

Jasper was about to step in, but Edward's eyes told him not to. Edward felt, and knew, that he deserved every hit. Even if they didn't hurt physically they were damaging him emotionally.

Bella started yelling at him again as she served up a barrage of punches.

Edward continued being pushed backwards until the back of his legs hit a solid surface, the base of the fountain. Edward looked down to see what he had hit right as Bella sent a devastating left hook to the side of his jaw.

Edward was put off balance and fell backwards. Silver fountain water splashed upwards briefly making a rainbow in the air.

Bella leaned over the fountain waiting for him to reemerge so she could continue taking out her anger and frustration on him. He stayed submerged for sometime and Bella's patients was wearing thin. She considered going in after him and pulling him out herself, but she reconsidered that thought opting rather to wait.

Finally, with another rainbow splash of water Edward reemerged, a human.

**Same deal as the last chapter; review and I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. I really want to get up to 500 reviews, but that seems a bit out of reach. Also, school begins again tomorrow so review and make me feel better about it. **


	22. Power Becomes Her

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**I have no idea where my Beta is so I edited this myself. **

Chapter 21: Power Becomes Her

September 23, 2081

Carlisle hadn't looked away from his new patience when the first sound of splashing came, but when the second splash sounded he looked up. It didn't sound any different then the first. It was the gasps of air and the coughing up of water that made him look up.

At first Bella was blocking his view, but when she stepped backwards avoiding the spray of water Carlisle got a clear view. Edward was standing waist deep in silvery water, soaking wet.

He looked strange though, something was off. Instead of his usual ominous black eyes they were a vibrant green. The same green eyes he had as a human.

Carlisle's mouth opened slightly in surprise and he looked to Jasper to see if he was seeing the same thing. Jasper looked just as stunned.

"He-he has a heartbeat." Jasper stuttered.

Carlisle zoned out the noise of the many people of the city and listened just to Edward, who was still coughing. The coughing had covered up the sound at first, but now that he concentrated he heard it. The first beats of a heart that hadn't pumped blood in over a hundred and fifty years.

Carlisle ran over to his son abandoning his patience (an act he would have never done if something so astronomical hadn't happened). He pulled Edward out of the water. As he was pulling him Carlisle could feel a slight warmth starting to radiate from him.

"Are you alright?" Carlisle asked as he set him on the stone floor. Edward nodded yes, clearing his throat. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know I just fell into that pool of water and when I came back up I was . . . this." Edward gestured downwards to himself.

Carlisle looked at the water in the fountain. It was a glistening silver. He brought some of the water that had been clinging to Edward's shirt to his nose and smelt it. It had the overwhelming scent of Bella's blood and for a split second blood lust almost over came him. His water covered hand inched towards his mouth.

"Don't you dare drink that." Carlisle stopped startled. He had forgotten Bella was there. He opened his mouth wider to ask how she was still alive, but he was cut off before he could even utter the first word.

"Humans are coming. We need to leave before they see what Edward did to him." Jasper glanced at the unconscious man on the ground. "You grab Edward and I'll get Bella."

"No," Bella said with great authority, "you and your family will leave and never come back." Jasper looked at Carlisle for instructions. They could both hear the humans coming closer.

"We'll leave." Carlisle said after mulling over their situation. "I just have one question." Bella nodded for him to continue. "How are you still alive?" Bella's already annoyed eyes narrowed more.

"If vampires can live forever, then why can't other things too?" Bella said with no emotions in her voice. Carlisle didn't ask her to elaborate. He bent down to pick up Edward, but Bella spoke again. "He's staying."

"What?" Both Carlisle and Jasper said at once.

"He committed a crime. I don't know how the world works up there," Bella pointed upwards, "but in my city when someone tries to kill someone else that's a crime and every crime has a punishment."

"Bella-"

"So unless you two want to be accomplices I suggest you leave him here and skedaddle."

Carlisle looked down at Edward asking him what they should do.

"Just go," Edward's voice didn't have the ring it used to now that he was human. "I did try to kill him, not to mention all the humans I have killed in my existence." He looked down ashamed.

"I'm glad that you agree." Bella said with a fake smile. "Now the rest of you should leave, and make sure you gather up any other vampires terrorizing my city." Bella redirected her eyes from Carlisle to Jasper. "I'd hate for one of them to slip up." Jasper cringed before he turned around.

The two blond vampires started running, glancing back every few seconds at Edward and Bella.

Edward looked at Bella as she watched the two retreating forms. She looked more beautiful then he remembered and even with his eye sight dulled with humanity she still looked like a goddess to him.

"Can we talk?" Edward asked pleadingly. Bella didn't even look at him.

"Don't move." Edward complied as Bella walked over to the man on the ground. She sat beside him and started stroking his hair lovingly.

Edward cringed and tried to look away, but he couldn't. A few minutes passed and still he stared. Figures in the background caught his attention finally letting him see something else.

It was a group of people. They swarmed around Bella and for a second panic rose in him when he couldn't see her, but then one of them moved slightly and she was back in his sights. Edward could tell they were talking, but he couldn't hear what they were saying with his human ears. Bella pointed his way and the mob of people came running towards him.

The first person to reach Edward pulled him up roughly by the arm. Edward didn't even struggle against him. It was only when he started pulling him away from Bella did he try to fight back, but one human against at least ten was no match.

Edward used the last ounce of his energy to look backwards. His eyes searched from left to right looking for one glance of Bella, but she was no where to be seen.

Defeated, Edward looked towards the ground as he was dragged, pushed, and pulled around the city. He could hear the people around him questioning him, but he wasn't really listening. It was only when he heard Bella's name being uttered did his ears perk up.

"Bella said to take him to the Blank's basement and lock him up." One of the taller men in the crowed of people said to another.

"I still can't believe a scrawny kid like this could have hurt Eli like that. And did you see Bella? I've never seen such a look of dread on her face before." Edward sighed at their words.

There were so many questions swirling about in his head, all of them revolving around Bella. None of which, that he knew of at least, were going to be answered.

Edward was led into the basement of a large house. The door was slammed shut after he was thrown in. Edward didn't bother to see if the door was locked. He didn't think they were stupid enough to leave it unlocked.

Edward looked around at his surroundings. It was a large room completely made of stone. There was no furnishing and nothing even slightly distinguishable other then the door and a puddle of water that dripped down from the ceiling.

A few hours passed and no one came to Edward's new prison cell. He was completely alone. Solitude, it was a thing he once relished in, but now he found it to be maddening.

Edward used the time to examine his new/old human self. He felt the same as he had when he was human before he caught the disease that led him to finding Carlisle. All of his main organs were working. His skin had regained its' temperature. There was one thing that he had noticed immediately though that had come with humanity. It was the lack of other's thoughts.

His thoughts were all alone. There was no one else in his head jabbering away about nonsense. Or someone thinking his name randomly. No pity thoughts, no lewd images. Nothing, but his own crisp, clear thoughts.

Another unknown amount of time elapsed with the last. Edward had no way of telling it without a watch. He had resorted to watching water droplets fall from the ceiling. He was trying to keep his thoughts preoccupied and away from Bella, but they just kept going back to her and plunging him into another pit of agony.

Without the usual warning of thoughts that normally gave away someone's presence to Edward he was startled when the door opened flooding the room with light, shortly followed afterwards by a dark silhouette.

**This is me updating early! Same deal as the last chapter; review and I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. I really want to get up to 500 reviews so contribute! **

**P.S. You guys will pee yourselves when you read the twist I have planned for the next chapter! So review! **


	23. A Friend?

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

Chapter 22: A Friend?

September 24, 2081

Edward covered his eyes with his hand, blocking out the bright light. The door closed and he slowly brought his hand down.

There was a man of about twenty-three standing by the door holding two stools and a clipboard. He had an odd tinge of color to his brown hair.

Edward frowned. He had been hoping it was actually someone important. Not just some random person.

The two stools were placed on the ground with a clank that echoed off the stone walls. The man sat on one of the stools and waited for Edward to join him. Edward didn't move from his spot on the floor. It didn't matter, his butt was already numb from sitting on the cold floor for hours on end.

"You're making me feel awkward. Just take the seat. I brought it here specifically for you." The young man said pulling a pen from the lapel of his faded jacket. Edward didn't move or respond. His eyes were trained on a fixed spot trying to tune out his words. "You like the coat?" He asked noticing Edward was staring at his jacket. "It was a gift for my twenty-fourth birthday." He smiled, but Edward didn't see it. The smile faded. "Alright, enough of this," Edward looked up, startled by his sudden change in demeanor, "I'm only doing this as a favor so just cooperate. It will be easier for the both of us."

Edward narrowed his eyes. He wasn't use to being surprised by anything anyone said. Normally, he would hear it in their mind before it went out their mouth.

He pushed himself off the ground and onto the stool figuring he could probable milk the naïve kid for information. Edward decided to play friendly.

"I'm Edward Cu-" Edward paused in the middle of his introduction. "Masen." The sound of pen scraping against paper filled the room. "And you are?"

"Gabriel, and please don't call me Gabe." Gabriel smiled slightly. "I just have a few mandatory questions for you, Edward." Edward nodded. "What is your mother's maiden name?"

"Elizabeth Mauler." Edward said mechanically.

"Any siblings?"

"None to my knowledge."

"Place of birth?"

"Chicago, Illinois, the windy city." Edward chuckled lightly and Gabriel continued to scratch down his answers.

"Date of birth?" Edward paused. How many births and rebirths had he had? He decided to use the first one.

"June 20, 19-" Gabriel's eyes flashed up from his paper in disbelief. "-01."

"Don't you mean some time more around 2063?" Gabriel's deep voice had a hint of skepticism.

"Nope, June 20, 1901."

"And how did you pull off staying alive for over one hundred and fifty years?" There was a true glint of interest in Gabriel's eyes.

"If Bella can live forever, then why can't other things too?" Edward said twisting the words Bella had used against Carlisle.

"Ah, Bella. You know her?" Edward doubted that this question was on the clipboard.

"No." Not anymore at least.

"Then how'd you know her name?"

"Lucky guess, I suppose." Edward paused. "So how do you know Bella?"

Gabriel's eyes flashed up.

"Everyone knows Bella." Edward bit the inside of his mouth in annoyance. He was hoping for a more informative answer. "So why did you come down to our city?"

"Personal reasons. Why did you come here?"

"I already told you that. I'm only here as a favor." Gabriel sighed and pulled out a large manila envelope. He handed it to Edward. "Bella told me to give you a message." Edward's head shot up and he listened intently. "In that envelope is a confession." Another sigh escaped his lips. "Bella said that if you don't confess then you're going to be executed. We don't have a court system down here. We've really never needed one. So there's no chance of you getting out of this." Edward looked down at the envelope in his hands. "She also said that depending on how you confess it will either be decades of imprisonment or centuries."

Edward's mouth gapped open.

"What-" Gabriel interrupted him.

"Here you can use my pen. I'll be back in a half an hour." Gabriel slipped out the door after handing Edward the pen.

Edward looked at the door for a minute before opening the envelope. He pulled his hand back quickly after feeling a small sting on his finger. He had cut it on the paper. A small bead of blood ran down his finger. Edward looked at it strangely. He wasn't use to not being attracted to the red substance. He remembered at one point of his existence when he would have, and did, kill for that one drop of blood.

One drop of blood, that's what led him to this point. To this point where he didn't have Bella. If only she hadn't shed that one drop of blood. Then Jasper wouldn't of attacked her making Edward see the truth of how dangerous he was for Bella. But now, but now he was human and. . .

Edward shook his head. If it wasn't that one bead of blood that made him realize how wrong he was for Bella then it would have been something else.

Experimentally, Edward brought his finger to his mouth and tasted the blood. He cringed. Rust and salt, it was nothing worth killing over anymore.

After nursing his wound Edward opened the envelope. It was standard confessional paperwork that police used.

Edward wrote down a fake story about how he had rammed through the man that had been with Bella with a jagged rock he found because he was paid to kidnap her.

Gabriel came back into the room carrying two water bottles. He set one down in front of Edward.

"What's this?" Edward picked up the water bottle and looked at the liquid. It was the same silver sheen as the water he had fallen into earlier.

"That my friend is what's going to keep you alive while you're down here." Gabriel took a big swig from his water bottle.

Edward and Gabriel chatted a few more minutes about inconsequential things before Gabriel turned serious again saying that he had to deliver the envelope to Bella.

"When will I know the verdict?" Edward asked as Gabriel opened the door.

"Soon." The door closed and Edward looked down at the water bottle in his hand.

His mind wonder to what his family was doing. He kept replaying the last time he had seen all of them. His thoughts went to the human that they had kidnapped, Trina. He assumed that they had let her go when they left.

In a part of his mind he wanted her to stay away. He had read her mind and told her about it. If that got out his alibi would be ruined. It was too late now to change anything now, though.

'_I guess that man really was her father._' Edward thought making the connection between her thoughts and the apparent immortality that the city had.

Edward spent the night pacing from one side of his small prison to the other. Worry cascaded from every one of his cells, covering him in a dark shroud.

The next day, or at least what Edward assumed was the next day Gabriel came back.

"And the verdict is . . .?" Edward let the sentence drag waiting for Gabriel to fill in the blank.

"Undecided as of yet. That's all anyone would tell me." Edward nodded rubbing his neck.

"So what am I suppose to do?" Edward said after thinking for a minute. "I mean if I am imprisoned for decades or centuries what am I suppose to do?"

"Well if you're not executed chances are that you are going to stay here for how ever long your sentence is."

"And how are they going to keep me alive for decades or centuries? I'm just a human. How do they expect me to live down here with no food, bed, or fresh air?" Edward looked around the room with a grim expression.

"Quite easily actually, considering you don't need any of those things." Gabriel pulled out another water bottle identical to the one he had given Edward the night before. "Trust me. You won't die if you just drink this water."

Edward took the bottle from him.

"I've never seen water that was silver." Edward stated bluntly. "What is this really?"

Gabriel looked around nervously as if someone else was in the small prison cell.

"Well I guess I can tell you considering that you'll either be killed tomorrow or locked up in here for too many years to count." Gabriel took a large breath. "It's water from the fountain of youth, thanks to Bella." Edward's eyes opened a bit wider at the mention of Bella.

"Thanks to Bella?" Gabriel didn't answer him. "I just want to know why I was paid to kill this Bella person."

"She's the one that keeps the fountain running. If anyone was to kill her or just take her away everyone down here would die." An odd silence fell over the room and Gabriel looked glum. He walked to the door and opened it slowly. "I'll be back tomorrow."

* * *

September 26, 2081

Edward switched from one stool to the other every few minutes, never really getting comfortable. He finally settled on lying on the ground, using his arms as a pillow. The only thing keeping him company was the drops of water falling from the ceiling.

Edward rolled on his side watching the ripples form and disappear in the puddle. He started flicking the water against the wall.

The door opened without warning and Edward paused in his splashing. Gabriel walked in and sat on the stool closest to Edward. Edward stood and straightened his clothes out, embarrassed at being caught doing something so childish.

Gabriel had the same look of sadness he had on his face when he had left the previous day. There was a small envelope in his hand. He was tapping it against his hand rapidly.

Edward looked at the envelope then back at Gabriel. Gabriel stood up full of nerves and gave Edward the envelope.

"I haven't read it yet. It's the verdict, straight from Bella." Edward sat on the stool, fingering the envelope. At a snail's pace he ripped away at the top of it.

Gabriel watched as he read it slowly. His eyes were emotionless as they went from right to left then back again.

"One hundred and eighty years. I've only just been alive for a hundred eighty years and now I'm going to spend another down here." Edward whispered to himself. He looked down at the bottom of the typed up paper. It was the only part that wasn't typed, a small signature in a bright blue ink. Edward traced it with the tip of his finger.

_Isabella Swan_

He recognized her signature. It hadn't changed a bit since the last time he had seen it. She still looped her Ls so strangely.

_'Bella had touched this piece of paper.' _The thought suddenly occurred to him. Edward sniffed the page. He couldn't smell her. Not the way he use to. She used to smell like a delectable dish to him. Her scent smelled different to his human nose. Now her scent smelled to him like any beautiful woman would to a man.

The paper in Edward's hands crumpled under his intense grip.

"It could be worse." Gabriel said placing his hand on Edward's shoulder. "I heard someone suggested three hundred years." His words didn't help Edward at all.

Tears welled up in Edward's eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. He deserved this. He deserved worse then this for all he'd done. All the humans he killed, all the families he'd hurt, everything he did wrong to Bella, all warranted a worse punishment then what he was getting.

Three teardrops fell on the piece of paper. He wasn't crying because of his punishment or lack of there of. He was crying for what he had lost because of his own stupidity.

Bella, the one thing that had ever meant anything to him was gone to him once again.

More tears rolled down his cheek and he put his head in his hands, pulling at his hair.

"Bella." The whimpered escaped his lips before he could stop it.

"What is your real connection with m-" Gabriel stuttered then corrected himself, "with Bella?" Edward looked up, but didn't answer. "No one just sent to kill someone else would call their name out like that." Edward's green eyes went back down to his hands. Gabriel's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing and left the room.

Over the next few weeks Gabriel came back to Edward's small prison cell bring him bottles of fountain water, a few sleeping bags to make a decent bed, and books.

The biggest thing he brought though was his small chat. Everyday he would ask a question pertaining to Bella trying to fish for an answer, but would never get one.

* * *

November 29, 2081

Gabriel sat in one of the two stools in the room mirroring Edward's position on the stool opposite him. They were both reading a book; both of their right legs were crossed over their left, and they both had the same look of concentration on their faces.

An alarm went off on Gabriel's wrist watch and he marked the page he was reading. Edward looked up from his book and did the same.

"You look sadder then usual today." Gabriel commented putting the book down and standing.

"Do I?" Edward smiled glumly and clenched the edge of the book. "I don't feel any more pathetic since the last time I checked." Edward's smile grew slightly. Gabriel shook his and left the same way he did everyday.

Edward's smile dropped immediately and he let out a shaky sob. He had a reason to be more saddened then usual. He hadn't noticed it at first, but today while he was reading it had struck him.

Something very important to him was escaping him and most of it had already left.

His original human memories had faded when he had turned into a vampire, but now that the roles were reversed the memories he had made as a vampire were vanishing too.

**Review and I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. Sorry this took forever. First my beta is too loaded down with work so I had to get a new one, but then a week later they tell me they're too loaded down with work! So anyways I need a new beta who can edit a chapter within 5 days. Any volinteers?**


	24. Wake up to the Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Everyone say hello to my new beta, ****Muff'Nbutter!**

Chapter 23: Wake Up to the Truth

September 23, 2081

Another tear ran down Bella's cheek as she watched two men carry a makeshift gurney towards Eli's motionless form. They put the stretcher on the ground and lifted him onto it; they were moving Eli's unconscious form from the middle of the square to their house.

Bella walked beside Eli as they carried him, her hands were fluttering over him, not knowing what to do. He hadn't moved since Carlisle had been there not fifteen minutes ago. Bella opened the front door of her house and helped the two men set Eli on one of the couches in the front room.

More tears escaped Bella's eyes at the sight of how pale Eli was.

"Did someone call Meredith yet?" Bella didn't bother to look up as she shouted.

Someone to her left answered her with a 'yes.'

"Well, tell her to hurry up." Meredith was the only person in Bella's city that actually had a medical degree. She really didn't need to use it, but she did know her stuff.

Bella leaned over Eli. The necklace around her neck brushed against his chest and Bella kissed him softly on the lips. Her tears fell on his face, but still he didn't move.

"God, Eli, I'll never forgive you if you die on me again." Bella whispered and wiped away the tears she had spilt on him.

Meredith ran into the room looking frazzled. She pushed Bella out of her way in her haste and started examining Eli. She did all the things normal doctors did. After three minutes she spoke.

"His wound closed quickly, probable due to the fountain water in his system. His condition on the outside looks fine, but I think that on the inside he's still very much damaged." She took off the plastic gloves she had been wearing.

"He was dead." Bella stated and Meredith handed some gauze to use as a tissue.

"That explains why he hasn't woken up then. The fountain water is repairing the dead cells that died with him. It's probable a good thing that he's in a comatose state. I'm guessing that bring cells back to life would be very painful." Bella nodded. "Do you want me to give you a check up too, Bella? I heard that one of the intruders almost got you."

"I'll be fine. I just need to get some rest." Meredith started packing up her equipment.

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow to check on Eli's condition." Bella didn't see Meredith leave. Her eyes were trained on Eli. She watched as his chest slowly rose and fell in perfect rhythm with hers through watery eyes.

People came and went in the room, but Bella didn't pay attention to any of them. They were just shadows moving in the background of her mind.

Bella grabbed Eli's hand and squeezed. It felt like hours had gone by when in reality it had only been a few minutes since Meredith left. Stress was making it hard for Bella to breath. She laid her head against Eli and cried.

A hand was placed on her back and Bella's head shot up. Bella couldn't recognize the person through her blurry eyes.

"We just received a call from other side of the city. We found Trina. She says she needs to speak to you urgently about the intruders. She should be here soon." Bella nodded and went back to her previous position.

Bella had fallen into a fitful sleep sometime between her putting her head down and Trina shacking her. She woke up and looked around; she was lying on the couch opposite of Eli's. Someone must have moved her there. Eli looked to be in the same condition as he was last time she saw him.

"Bella, can we go to talk somewhere more private?" Trina asked redirecting Bella's attention to her. There were various people in the room moving about doing little tasks.

Bella bit her lip and looked back at Eli. She didn't really want to let him out of her sights. Reluctantly she nodded and led Trina to an empty room.

"What's wrong, Trina?" Bella wiped away some grey cat hair off her seat and waited for Trina to reply.

"I'm so sorry." Bella looked at Trina quizzically. "This is completely my fault! If I hadn't used the old town motto on one of my designs then none of this would have happened!" Trina started crying. "They kidnapped me and asked me all these question and I was so scared that I led them here. I'm so sorry, Bella. Eli would be fine if not for me! Please forgive me!" Her last sentence was gargled with sobs.

Bella pulled her into her arms and soothed her like a mother would.

"It's alright Trina." A deep sense of guilt filled Bella, knowing that it was actually her own fault. Not Trina's. "Eli's going to be fine and we captured one of the men that stole you away from us." Trina's weeping slowed and Bella used a blanket on the couch to wipe away some of her tears. "It's going to be fine. There is nothing to forgive. Go upstairs and use my phone. I'm sure Elliot is worried sick about you."

Trina left to do as she was told and Bella stayed seated. She cracked her neck trying to relieve some stress; it didn't work. She stood back up and went to the room where Eli was resting.

"Where is Gabriel?" Bella asked sitting on the edge of the sofa Eli was on. Will came forward from the group of people to answer her.

"He was here earlier while you were sleeping. I can get him if you want, Bella." Bella gave Will a weak smile and his eyes lit up.

"Was that man," she added false malice to her words, "taken to the Blank's basement?" Will nodded.

"We're just waiting on your say on what to do next."

"I need you to type up a sheet of questions that they would ask at a police station and a blank piece of paper for him to write a confession on. When you're done give it to Gabriel and send him to get the confession." Will looked at her stunned.

"Are you sure? I mean- Gabriel?" Will stuttered.

"Just do it. Gabriel is completely aware of how to control his emotions. " Will started leaving, feeling hurt at the harshness of Bella's words. "One more thing, Will." He turned and looked at Bella.

"Yes?" Bella walked up to him and stood on her toes. Her lips were only a few centimeters away from his ear.

"Tell Gabriel to tell our prisoner that if he doesn't confess then he'll be executed and if his confession is good then his penalty won't be as bad as if it is not to my liking." Goose bumps appeared on the place were Bella's breath touched Will. "Keep this between the three of us." Bella started backing away from him. "Oh, and thank you Will."

Will walked out of the room looking dazed. Bella hated doing that to him, but she wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.

"I'm sorry for asking you all this," Bella said addressing all the people in her house. Some of whom were guarding Bella in case any of the people who attacked her came back. Others were watching over Eli's condition. "But can you all give me a little private time with Eli?" The majority of them left right away, but others were a bit hesitant. They eventually left when they saw everyone else was going.

Bella saw them all to the door. Once they were gone Bella moved the coffee table that was separating the sofa Eli was sleeping on and the one Bella had been resting on earlier off to the side and put the two couches together.

Bella crawled onto the makeshift bed and snuggled as close to Eli as she could. She looked at his emotionless face and stifled a sob.

'_If only I hadn't been so stupid,'_ Bella thought to herself as she softly stroked Eli's cheek. '_What did I expect to happen by sending them such a vague invitation? I should of just let sleeping dogs rest.'__  
_  
Bella's eyes started drooping and she only faintly registered the sound of the front door closing as Trina left. Soon she drifted back into a chaotic sleep.

* * *

September 24, 2081

The room was silent. Bella was standing by an open window in the living room breathing in the cool morning air. Her eyes kept wondering back to Eli. His wound looked better, yet he still didn't move.

Bella walked over to Eli's side and brushed the hair out of his eyes. A sigh from his lips broke the silence of the room and Bella smiled.

A loud knock came from the door and Bella answered it. Trina was standing there looking much better then she had yesterday.

"I passed Gabriel a few minutes ago. I told him I was heading back home so he wanted me to give you this. It's the prisoner's confession. Apparently his name is Edward Masen." Bella took the envelope from Trina and they walked into the kitchen. Trina tried to look over her shoulder as she read.

Bella wasn't sure if she was happy with Edward's confession. She handed it back to Trina to read it.

"I think he should be in that shit hole for at least three hundred years." Trina said reading over the paper twice. Bella's jaw clenched.

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Bella's voice was weak.

"Bella, he kidnapped me and tried to kidnap you. If anything he's getting off easy. Not to mention that the six other people with him got away."

"I-" A noise in the other room interrupted Bella.

"Bella?" Eli shouted after he woke up and didn't see her. Bella ran into the living room.

Eli was sitting up on the couch holding his gut. A violent cough erupted from him making him wince.

"Go get some water for Eli and call Meredith," Bella ordered Trina.

Eli opened his eyes and saw Bella. Relief flooded his body at the sight of her.

"Thank God you're alright, Bella." Eli's voice was strained. She ran her fingers through Eli's hair trying to erase the look of distress on his face. Eli pulled her hand down and placed a kiss on it. Trina came back into the room.

"How are you feeling?" Bella asked taking the glass from Trina and handing it to Eli. He took a sip before answering.

"I feel like I jumped down three flights of stairs just to take the elevator up just to do it again," Eli laughed, but winced halfway through. Bella took the water back from him and eased him back into his lying position.

"Your jokes suck. Lie down, shut up, and rest," Bella commanded him. Eli smiled.

"You know I like it when you boss me around," he joked, making Bella roll her eyes at his childishness when really she was happy that he was healthy enough to joke.

"You called Meredith right, Trina?" Trina nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it back up. She tilted her head to the side towards the kitchen. Bella gave a discrete nod and Trina walked into the kitchen. "I'll be right back, Eli. I need to see if we have any thing to mellow out your pain."

Trina was standing by the sink holding the letter with Edward's confession in it.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away from Eli, but I really want to know how long you are going to keep that scum bag in prison before I head back to Paris. He deserves to be punished, Bella. He was so . . . weird." Trina remembered him shouting at her when she was thinking of her father. Trina didn't broach the subject.

Bella sighed and looked through one of the cabinets thinking to herself about what to say.

"I'm going to need a night to sleep on it. I'll call you when I've made my decision." Trina nodded and put the envelope on the counter while Bella pulled out a small wooden box from the cabinet. "Don't worry; you'll be the first one to know."

"Alright, fine. Call me on my cell phone. I'm leaving in an hour."

As Trina walked out of the house Meredith walked in. She immediately started looking over Eli. Bella walked back into the living room carrying the small wooden box, watching as Meredith did her doctor thing. Eli eyed the box and grinned.

"The only thing that is going to have any positive affect is time and moderate amounts of fountain water." Meredith said before Eli shooed her away. The playful smile on his face melted off.

"What happened, Bella? One minute I see some random man standing across the square and I pull you behind me to protect you and the next thing I know I'm laying on this couch feeling like crap." Eli shuddered. "When I woke up and didn't see you I thought for sure that man had killed you." Bella took a deep breath.

"I made a horrible mistake." Bella pulled her knees up to her chest and couldn't look Eli in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I can't even describe to you how sorry I am. I was the reason they hurt you. If-if I just hadn't been so stupid you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Eli looked at her questioningly.

"Bella, what are you talking about?"

"I'm the one who invited that man down here." Eli gaped at her. "I didn't really think he would come, though, or hurt you." Bella's throat was tight and she could hardly speak. "I was just being an idiot. I didn't seriously think anything would come from it." Eli's lips were in a taut line.

"Who-" Eli cleared his throat and tried again. "Who is he?"

"An ex-boyfriend," Bella said quietly, before quickly added on, "but that's not why I invited him down here. I invited his whole family; I missed them." Bella was biting the inside of her lip waiting for his reaction. "I didn't think he'd come. . ." She felt his hand cup her face making her look at him.

"Bella, do you still have feelings for him?"

"I went out with him for less then a year. That's nothing compared to how long I've been with you. He broke up with me and that was the end. I just wanted to see his family," Bella said indignantly. Eli looked down then back at Bella.

"When did this happen? When did you cheat on me?" Eli's voice was dead.

"Wha-No! Eli, I've never cheated on you! I would never do something so cruel. I went out with him in high school when I was young and stupid." Eli's forehead scrunched up.

"You haven't been to high school in over seventy years. Please, just tell me the truth, Bella."

"I am telling you the truth. You know I'd never lie to you. The last time I saw him was in high school. We aren't the only immortal beings in this world. He and his whole family are vampires." Eli took a minute to mull that over. He took Bella by the hand and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Bella, are you telling me the truth?" Eli asked calmly. His eyes were searching hers.

"Of course I am." Eli let out a sigh and was relieved at her words. "I'm sorry that I put you through this, Eli. Can you ever forgive me?"

"How could I not, Bella? I love you." Bella snuggled against his side and Eli wrapped his arm around her waist. "Where are they now?" Eli asked out of the blue.

"They're all gone, all except for him, Edward, the one who hurt you. He's locked up in an impromptu prison. I ordered Davidson and a few of his friends to capture him and lock him up so that he could be punished for what he did to you. Right now he's waiting for his sentencing." Bella kept rambling on until Eli silenced her with another question.

"How long is he going to be sentenced for?"

"I haven't decided yet. I want it to be long, but not too long, if that makes since." Eli laughed at her indecisiveness.

"What was the first amount of years that popped into your head when you knew that he was captured?"

"I didn't think of any years. I thought of execution, but after that I thought of about a hundred and sixty years or so." Bella mumbled and handed Eli his glass of water again.

"Add twenty to that and I think we're set." Eli said before draining the rest of the water and opening a small wooden box.

"That's fine," she said while rising from her seat. "I'll go and type up his verdict right now so that we won't have to think of it again." As she started walking away, Eli grabbed her wrist.

"I've only just awoken. Can't you do that later? I'd like to spend a little bit more time with you before the news spreads that I am awake." Bella leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

"It will only take me five minutes at most. Anyway, the only people that know you are awake are Trina and Meredith. Trina is going out of town soon and it's not like Meredith has any friends she can tell." Eli laughed. "I'll tell you what. I'll bring the laptop in here and then I'll only be gone for a minute to print it out. Okay?"

Bella didn't wait for his response. She ran upstairs and grabbed the paper thin computer. In less than a minute she was back by Eli. Eli pulled out a tightly rolled joint and started smocking it as he watched Bella type at a lighting speed.

"You want me to read over it?" Eli asked when her fingers paused. Bella looked up from the computer.

"You can if you want to." Bella turned the computer his way and Eli read over it with quick eyes. It sounded very official. He gave Bella back the laptop and she went into the other room to print it. She came back holding an envelope. Eli snuffed out the burning tip of the joint and put it back in the box.

Eli opened his arms up in a gesturing motion. Bella set down the envelope and sat between his legs, leaning against his chest. Eli winced as he pulled her closer, but didn't let Bella see. Slowly she fell asleep, and he followed after shortly.

* * *

Bella and Eli were woken up by the slamming of a door. Gabriel came running in, panting. He pocketed his set of keys and walked over to Eli and Bella.

"I came as soon as I heard you were awake." Gabriel said after he had regained his breath. "How are you feeling? And can you two stop making out? It's gross." Bella pulled away from Eli and glared at Gabriel.

"We weren't making out. We were sleeping," Eli said pulling Bella back to him. "I've felt better."

"Good, I was worried." Gabriel clapped Eli on the back then spotted the envelope. "Is that the verdict?" Bella nodded and Gabriel put it in the inner pocket of his jacket. "I'll deliver this tomorrow."

"Good." Bella said yawning. "Now go away. I want to go back to sleep."

"Yeah," Gabriel said sarcastically as he headed for the door, "I love you, too, mom and dad."

**Review and I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. I have a new one shot out too. Also I would just like to note that I had this chapter planned out before I read BD. **

**P.S. 7 of my koi in my koi pond died because the fountain broke. And they just happened to be the biggest/expensivest ones!! . . .review.**


	25. Family Fun on the Run

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Muff'Nbutter, thank you for helping me!**

Chapter 24: Family Fun on the Run

September 23, 2081

Carlisle and Jasper led the way up the spiral staircase. Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice were right behind them.

"Where's Edward?" Rosalie asked for the third time. She was met with the same answer of nothingness. Carlisle glanced back at her and could see her agitation. He didn't want to break the news until the rest of his family was together.

Jasper slowed down when they reached the final bend before the place they had left Esme and Trina. Trina was sitting on one of the steps as far away from Esme as she could.

"Let the girl go." Carlisle said when he saw his beautiful wife. Trina looked up surprised, before running away with no words.

"Where is Edward, Carlisle?" Esme said when Trina was out of hearing range. Carlisle took a deep breath of air while looking at the faces of his family members, taking in each separately.

"Edward turned back into a human," Carlisle said bluntly. Everyone except for Jasper looked at him like he was lying.

"What are you talking about? That's impossible," Emmett stated pulling Rosalie closer to him.

"Apparently not; I saw it myself. Edward is a human again. I could hear his heartbeat with my own ears," Jasper confirmed what Carlisle was saying. Rosalie wiggled out of Emmett's grip and ran up to Carlisle. Her fingers seemed to turn to claws as she pushed Carlisle against the wall.

"What do you mean Edward is human?" There was a rough edge to Rosalie's voice that made her seem like the primitive vampire she once was.

"I mean exactly what I'm saying. Edward turned back into a human. I don't know how it happened, but we need to leave." Carlisle pried Rosalie's fingers off of him. She still had a distraught look in her eyes. "Bella's still alive and human too." Carlisle added on.

"How? How is any of that even possible?" Rosalie punched a hole into the wall. "I don't believe you. There is no way that Edward could turn back into a human. Where is he? I need to see it to believe it." Rosalie waited for an answer from Carlisle. He seemed to be pondering it.

"I think he's going to jail. He almost killed someone. . ." Carlisle trailed off and Esme looked at him with wide eyes. "I think they might kill him."

"No," Esme said, distraught, "I've already lost one child! I don't want to lose another." She made a dash down the stairs, but Carlisle grabbed her before she could go far. "What are you doing? I have to save my baby!"

"We can't, Esme." Carlisle said in a soothing tone.

"What do you mean 'we can't'? We can't just leave him down there!" The rest of the family watched in silence.

"He asked us to let him stay down there." Carlisle's voice was only a whisper.

"But-" Esme was cut off by Carlisle.

"We have to respect his wishes." Carlisle stared Esme straight in the eyes until she understood. She agreed sadly before they turned around and started running back to the top of the stairs and away from Edward.

**Sorry this is so short. I am having trouble with the next chapter so I thought I'd send you a little something while you're waiting. Also a couple of people were wondering why the Cullen family just didn't swoop in and save Edward so yeah.**

**Can anyone give me the names of Aro's, Caius', and Marcus's wives names?**** It's for one of my side projects. Review and feel free to check out some of my other works. **


	26. All Politically Sound on the Western

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Muff'Nbutter! I have a tendency to make up percentages in my English class. Awesome Beta!**

Chapter 25: All Politically Sound on the Western Front

September 24, 2081

Gabriel sat on the edge of the fountain leaning dangerously backwards over the silver water. His head was tilted upward as he watched bright mist spew from the top of the fountain..

He was lost in a memory of when he had tried to climb to the top of the fountain. He had been the eager age of seven at the time. There were only two other children in the whole city and they weren't even Gabriel's age so he was very much a loner.

Being the only child that age in a city full of people that adored your mother made Gabriel over protected. He was very rarely out of the sight of an adult for more then a second.

Even at such a young age he had felt imprisoned within his own lifestyle. So the first time Bella, his frantic yet loving mother, had fallen asleep while watching him, Gabriel snuck out of the house hoping to find an adventure.

The fountain seemed to be the perfect place for him to start. Gabriel had waded through the water and was too short to reach the bottom until he reached the middle. He had been so excited that he climbed up two stories high before Bella found him.

He had been laughing, hanging precariously while Bella frantically tried to get him down.

Gabriel laughed at the memory and almost fell into the fountain. His laughter was suddenly cut short when he felt a weight on his chest. He patted the lapel of his jacket where Edward's verdict was securely packed away.

Gabriel was hesitant to go back to Edward's little dungeon. Something just didn't feel right to him about the whole situation. The way he had said her name set him on edge and made him uncomfortable.

A raindrop fell from the mist and Gabriel headed to his house. He lived in one of the four houses that made up the square around the fountain of youth. According to his aunt it had been abandoned before he was born and his mother paid a large amount of money to have it renovated for when he grew up. Most of the items in the house were all originals and fit Gabriel's taste perfectly.

A small smile made its way onto his face as he stepped through the threshold. He made his way to the kitchen and started heating up water on the stove. Steam wound up from the boiling water and Gabriel put the sealed envelope over it. The top flap started peeling away from the bottom as the adhesive weakened. It was an old trick he had learned from an old TV show.

Gabriel pulled out the message in the envelope and skimmed over it's contents. He could feel anger slowly coming to the surface at such a small punishment. This man had nearly killed his father and was only getting one hundred and eighty years. Gabriel put the piece of paper back in the envelope and resealed it before he could rip it up in anger.

Gabriel took a big breath and let it go. He had met Edward and he was a nice enough guy. Gabriel could even picture himself being friends with him if their situation wasn't so strange.

Still, he assumed his mother would have given Edward a worse sentencing.

There was definitely something he wasn't being told.

Gabriel put the letter on his fridge with a magnet and sat in a chair in front of an unlit fireplace. His fingers strummed against the scratched leather of the chair and he leaned his head against the back in silent thought.

_The water shouldn't have affected Edward unless... _Gabriel didn't finish the thought. Something in his mind clicked.

His laptop was near his chair and he grabbed it. He pulled up a new window and went to a search engine.

He typed in Edward's name and immediately a law firm popped up on screen. Gabriel read through all the information quickly and clicked on a link that showed the founder. A picture came on screen of a man that didn't look like Edward, but his eyes were light and Gabriel couldn't tell if his eyes were green because the picture was in black and white. The woman beside him had a soft smile on her face and she reminded him of his own mother. She resembled Edward slightly in a feminine fashion.

Her photo looked familiar to Gabriel not just because she looked like Edward; it was something else. In the back of his mind he was sure he had seen a picture at least similar to it somewhere; maybe from his grade school years.

Gabriel took his laptop off his lap and ran upstairs into the attic. Dust filled the air as he went through many of his old boxes that hadn't been opened for years. One labeled "Grade Seven" in the messy scrawl of his mother caught his eye. He dug through the box until his hand skimmed against one of his old projects. He pulled it out and a brief memory of his father and himself working on it while his mother was helping Trina flashed in his mind's eye.

Gabriel took off the old rubber band that kept the poster board rolled tightly together and unfurled it. Photos that had once been glued to the paper fell to the ground. He didn't notice them as they scattered about the filthy floor.

Only a few pictures had stuck onto the old paper. His fingers glided over all the many lines that branched off to more lines. One led to a picture that looked just like Edward's mother, except she looked younger and didn't have a ring on her finger.

His thought from earlier repeated itself, but this time he let it finish._ The water shouldn't have affected Edward unless... unless he was related to someone in the city._ Gabriel's finger traced downwards and he knew he couldn't tell anyone about this without rocking the whole city.

The title on the top of Gabriel's project read: _My Family Tree._

**I was definitely considering not posting this chapter and putting it in the deleted scenes catigory. But I spent too much time on it to throw it in the trash. Sigh N-E-ways thank you to everyone who helped me with my side project. When I'm close to being done with this story I'll post it. Feel free to review. I need the love. On the other hand I need the hate of flames. Negative and postive reviews welcomed. . .**


	27. A Blanch in Time

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Muff'Nbutter! Tis my Beta! Where art thou!?!**

**Clarification of what happened last chapter: Gabrial pulled out one of his old school projects labeled My family tree and it was so old that some of the photos that used to be glued to it fell off, but Gabriel didn't notice because he was looking at the picture on the poster of Edward's mother. The only thing that I forgot to clarify that only about two people noticed was that Gabriel was looking on his father's side. Not B's. That would be weird. . .**

Chapter 26: A Blanch in Time

August 2, 2100 (Some amount of years after the last chapter)

Edward sat in a cushioned chair. His room was covered with stacks of books. There were two chairs on opposite sides of the room. Each chair had a foot rest that used to be the hard wooden stool that he had in the room. A paper thin piece of glass sat on top of a shabby looking desk beside Edward's makeshift cot.

All the items in the room had been smuggled in by Edward's only friend in the whole world, Gabriel.

Edward stood and grabbed the piece of glass off the table. His right thumb clicked the upper corner and the glass lit up. Pictures of the outside world flashed on the screen and Edward stared at the images in wonder.

To Edward the images were beautiful, but he couldn't really connect them to his life. They were just abstract thoughts to him. He had no idea if they existed. He had never felt grass beneath his feet or seen a real rainbow, not in his memories at least. For all he knew these beautiful places that he saw on the screen were completely made up. The only place he knew was the room he lived in. Edward couldn't even conceive there being any other places than the room he lived in and the hallway he glanced every once and in a blue moon.

There were only a few vague memories that weren't in his prison. Flashes of the same silver water that sustained him completely surrounding him, two blond men with matching eyes, and a mob of men carrying him were all the foggy memories he could recall.

The lock on the door clicked and Gabriel walked in. He was carrying two six-packs. Edward put down the glass PC when Gabriel tossed a beer to him. They sat in their separate seats and each opened a beer.

"What's the occasion?" Edward asked then took a sip of the cool liquid. Gabriel looked at his drink and took a full minute to answer.

"My family wants me to go to college. They don't know I'm still the one that takes care of you. Bella ordered someone else to watch over you after I had given you your verdict, but I stopped the message from going through." Gabriel finally took a drink from his beer.

"Why did you do that?"

"I enjoy your company." Gabriel wasn't telling a complete lie. He did think of Edward as a friend, but his main reason was to protect Edward. He knew that everyone was annoyed that Bella hadn't sentenced him to execution. Whoever was to take care of Edward wouldn't be as kind to him as Gabriel was.

"Thanks." Edward said lightly. He was trying to figure out what he was going to do when Gabriel was gone and some random person started delivering his water. It was going to be so strange. Edward didn't really know how to interact with other people. Gabriel was the only person Edward had ever known.

Hours passed and both Gabriel and Edward knocked back enough beers to get them sufficiently drunk.

"Oh, she is so hot." Gabriel said holding up the glass PC. A picture of a blond at the pool was on the screen. Edward squinted then threw an empty beer can at it.

"I prefer women with darker hair. I once had this dream about this gorgeous brunette. I can't really picture her face anymore, but I remember her being hot!" Edward knocked over his footstool as he stood and took the thin computer from Gabriel. He flipped to a picture of a brunette. "Now she's sexy if her lips were a just fuller I would be in love."

"Whatever. I like blonds. Brunettes remind me of my mom." Gabriel popped open another can.

"Really?" Edward asked with a goofy grin. "Maybe you should, ahh, bring your mom down here. I mean physically she's like what? Twenty-three? Twenty-four?" Edward laughed while Gabriel scowled.

"Edward, don't talk about my mom. That's sick." Edward sat back down in his seat and sighed.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do when you leave." Edward said tracing circles into the armrest of his chair.

"I was thinking about that. Since I'm the only one who ever sees you I really doubt that anyone will notice if I snuck you out." Gabriel said freely. Edward gaped at him before laughing.

"I thought you were serious for a second there." Edward said once his laughing subsided.

"I'm not joking. If you were released on time and I wasn't there, leaving you alone in this city it would be completely inappropriate; considering what you did. . ." Gabriel trailed off. The happy buzz of the room died off immediately.

Edward's eyes were downcast. He couldn't even remember that far back, yet alone believe that he almost killed someone. That life so long ago was lost to him. A life before the one he currently lived was just a foggy theory in the back of his mind.

Snoring from the other side of the room made Edward jump up in fright. He must have been thinking for longer then he had noticed.

He drank the last of the beers before falling asleep himself. His dreams were filled with bleakness with random flashes of colors. As Edward's dreams went on the colors started to mix together and form pictures of the same beautiful brunette as the one in his previous dreams.

The dreams were forgotten the next morning when he woke up with a hammering hangover.

Gabriel was already up and had a backpack full of clothing Edward had never seen before.

"Get up, Edward. We're leaving." Gabriel said as he zipped up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "We'll get more supplies when we get out of here."

"Gabriel, you know you can't do that. Anyways I can't put you in that sort of danger. What if we were to get caught? You'd be put in jail and then we'd both be stuck." Edward said not moving from his seat. Gabriel laughed.

"If we get caught, don't worry. I won't be locked up. They'll just throw you back in here and I wouldn't be able to see you until you were released on schedule." Edward shifted on his seat as Gabriel opened the door. "Hurry up." Gabriel slipped out the door. Edward gave one weary look at his old room before following him out into a whole new world.

**I am starting to get bored of this story, but I'm not one to end something unfinished. **


	28. Dread That There Is No Renaissance

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Muff'Nbutter! Huzzah! Three cheers for the awesome-ness of my Beta!!! **

Chapter 27: Dread That There Is No Renaissance

November 6, 2102

It was a dream, just another dream. Edward could tell from the lack of sanity to it.

He had the sense that his dream world was cold. The man walking in front of Edward could see his own breath. A few snowflakes fell overhead; Edward couldn't feel it. But who ever felt anything in a dream? It's when they wake up that the feelings came.

The man walked down the dark street. Edward was right behind him, but the man didn't sense him. The darkly clad man was watching a group of girls as they picked out new dresses. The shadow of a person was going to do something horrible to them. Edward could tell, but he didn't know why he knew the man's intensions.

Then there was blood. It was all he could see. The odd thing was that he knew he was enjoying it. He was covered in it. That experience alone should have made his dream a nightmare, yet it wasn't scary.

Something in Edward's mind pulled him into awareness. Edward's eyes flashed open only to be slammed back closed as the light hurt his pupils. Slowly, his eyes opened to a large, plain white room. The clock read 6:58, two minutes before his alarm was set to go off. He sighed while turning off the alarm and rolling to his side all in one motion. He was always waking up before his alarm went off.

With a gruff Edward rose from his bed. He could hear Gabriel in the other room, going about his morning routine.

Edward yawned and went to his collection of music. His fingers went to a small panel on the wall and the white walls of his room became covered with hundreds of songs and artists. It was his hobby. Collecting music made him feel peaceful compared to the uneasiness that plagued his unconscious mind usually.

Edward pushed the shuffle button. The music filled the whole house. Edward went into the bathroom and showered. When Edward was done he grabbed a water bottle of fountain water and headed for the car.

Gabriel was waiting in the passenger's seat, reading a news screen. The car was a dark, rich blue. It was Edward's favorite color yet he, himself couldn't bear to wear it. Something about the color just made him happy, but when he wore it he felt so strange.

"Morning," Gabriel said in a low voice as he scrolled down the next screen.

"Good morning to you, too." Edward turned on the car. It automatically started driving them to their college. He grunted and switched the car from the recommended auto pilot mode to manual.

"You know ninety percent of non-pedestrian related accidents are caused by people driving manually," Gabriel threw out the random fact as Edward went twenty miles over the speed limit. "You're not slowing down," he stated bluntly. "Edward, what compels you to constantly break the law and the speed limit?"

"The only laws I break are the ones with cars, excluding grand theft auto. I only feel compelled to break the speed limit because it makes me happy. I think I might have been a racecar driver in my 'past life'." Edward still couldn't remember anything from before he met Gabriel. When ever they spoke of his past it was in a joke.

The car came to a screeching stop as Edward pulled into the student parking lot. Gabriel gave him a glare before they got out of the car and headed for their separate classes.

Edward's first class was an advanced science class. He had no idea how he got into the class. He had never heard of any of the things that they were talking about, but when his teachers from his previous, lower-leveled classes asked him difficult questions he had answered each of them with a long explanation without a second thought, so naturally he was switched into the advanced classes.

It wasn't the first time something like this happened. Sometimes in his early English literature class they would start reading a book and he'd already knew what was going to happen throughout the whole plotline. Other times someone would start speaking in another language and he would understand them completely. Every so often, when he was looking up music and started listening to a song in the oldies section he would start singing along to the words before he even heard them.

All of those things scared Edward, yet his unfound general knowledge of all random things in academia made college so much easier.

When they had first escaped from everything Edward ever knew Gabriel had suggested that they start out at a high school, but only after a week of that they both agreed to try out college. They bought a house close to campus using the deep pockets of the city of Gabriel's birth.

Everything passed had been typical, average college life. No one had mentioned anything about Edward's disappearance from the city. Gabriel said that after the incident that landed Edward in jail everyone pushed the memory of him to the back of their minds.

Edward walked into his class and took his seat near the front. The professor wasn't there yet, so the whole class was talking amongst themselves. A blond Edward had talked to a few times sat down beside him. If he remembered correctly, her name was Molly. She opened her mouth to say something just as the professor came in talking about an impromptu lab involving deadly chemicals and no instructions other than to not explode the whole laboratory.

By the end of the class he was one of the six students out of forty to actually finish the lab. Edward felt a tug on his jacket as he was exiting the class and he looked backwards. The blond from before was standing there.

"Hey, Edward," Molly said with confidence. "I was heading for the café around the corner. You want to accompany me?" Edward would have normally said no, but he didn't have his next class for a half an hour and Gabriel was still in class. He agreed adamantly.

The trip to the café was filled with polite small chat and half-hearted jokes. Molly was flirting shamelessly by the time their orders came in. From the first second she spoke to him Edward already knew what she wanted. It was always like that though. Whenever he saw someone it was like he just knew what they were thinking. Everyone except Gabriel. It was refreshing and probably the reason he only had one friend.

At the end of Molly's and Edward's little 'date' Molly invited him up to her room, but Edward declined, giving her the excuse of having to go to class. He knew she only wanted to get close to him so that he would help her in their class together.

She asked him for his number, but Edward brushed her off. He paid their tab and started walking to his next class.

The sky overhead was a dark gray and started pouring out rain. Edward started running, trying to escape the worst of it. He was sprinting at his top speed, faster than most men his age, yet he felt slow.

Edward's next class was just letting out when it came into his line of sight. Hoards of students were exiting the building. Some of them opened umbrellas as Edward maneuvered through them to the door; while others held their books over their heads and ran, all but one. They took their time walking along at an easy pace not even noticing the rain.

It was one of the two things that truly distinguished them from the scurrying humans other than their pace. It was their topaz eyes.

**So anyways, I was completely P.O.-ed (pissed off) when Fanfic shut down not letting review through about a half an hour after I posted my last chapter. Feel free to go back and review. My goal for this story, (since I always make a goal than break it) is to beat the amount of reviews I got on my last story which was 633, (still going up). So help me beat me! (My own worse enemy) Review!**


	29. No Serenity in the Motive

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege of owning this story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Muff'Nbutter! My emails still aren't getting through. That's fine. I think I am going to just start betaing for myself once again.**

**Alright before you flip the shit let me just tell you something. This is the only chapter this charecter is going to be in. I just used them as a transition. **

**Chapter 28: **No Serenity in the Motive

**November 6, 2102**

Silky brunet tendrils wisped behind the woman as she walked out the door and into the rain. Humans were swarming around her, startled by the rain. They were all knocking into each other, yet they never came within two feet of her. Whether they realized it or not Serenity didn't know.

The rain drops fell steadily and in every one of them Serenity could see her butterscotch eyes reflecting. A new color entered the small droplet's spectrum. It was a swirl of green and bronze mixing with her topaz and brown.

Serenity looked up to see the source. A human had entered the two feet radius of no mans land that surrounded her. He was running and only just narrowly dodged out of her way. She glanced back at the retreating form before continuing her steady pace.

Serenity felt the small gears turn in her cell phone right before it started ringing. She answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Serenity Cullen speaking. May I ask who is calling?" Serenity heard laughing on the other end of the line. It was a light tinkering noise that she easily recognized. "Alice, you don't have to make fun of the way I answer the phone. That's just the way we did things back in my time. "Alice's laughter increased.

"You act like I didn't live through the same time period. The 20th century was much stricter than the late 21st century that you came from." Alice teased. Serenity sighed.

I don't like thinking about the past. I was such a savage. I'm just glad I met Carlisle. I don't even want to think about all the lives I took. . ." Serenity walked without thought, completely forgetting the rest of her classes.

"We were all animals at one point. The main thing is that you made the decision to try our lifestyle." Serenity nodded to herself silently. "I still don't think it is a good idea for you to be all alone at college. You know we'd all be happy to move up there with you just to keep you company"

They still didn't trust her around humans. Serenity expected as much, considering her last slip up had been less than two years ago.

"No thank you, Alice. I need to spread my wings, try things my way, and all of those other cliché sayings." Serenity's hair was soaked through as she opened her car and let it drive her back to her apartment.

"Fine, fine, I'm just trying to be a good sister and you know how Esme worries. I've got to go, Jasper is calling me. Bye Serenity."

"Bye Alice." Serenity said half a second before Alice hung up the phone.

Serenity's car pulled up to her apartment complex. She slipped into the building only being stopped once to be invited to some big party on campus. She shoved the invitation in her pocket and dropped off her books and cell phone in her apartment.

Serenity opened her window and jumped down the two story building. She didn't feel like dealing with the humans that inhabited the building and a hunt felt needed.

The long hunt refreshed her and by the time she got back it was dark outside. With a quick shower she looked as good as new and had a ton of time to kill. As she was hanging up her soggy clothes from earlier the invitation to a party fell out of the pocket. She un-crumpled it and decided to go on impulse.

Upon arrival the party was in full swing. Humans saturated with plenty of alcohol were dancing like animals while the sober ones were on the edge of the mayhem, talking about the drunken ones.

Serenity joined the sober group. Every male pair of eyes seemed to be on her. It was unnerving, yet typical. A few with guts even asked her to dance but she turned them down.

This is why she didn't like spending time with humans. They were too attracted to her appearance to see anything else.

Serenity looked around the room bored as she pretended to take a sip of her beer. They landed on the only male in the room who wasn't blatantly staring at her.

It was the boy with green eyes and bronze hair from earlier. He was talking to his friend who had a dazed look on his face as he looked at her. Serenity walked over to the pair.

"Are you gay?" She asked Edward bluntly and immediately regretted it. "Sorry, it's just you are the only guy not undressing me with their eyes at this party." Gabriel snapped out of his staring when she said this and Edward started laughing.

"I don't believe I'm gay, but who knows?" Edward joked. "I'm terribly sorry that I'm not 'undressing you with my eyes', but I can assure you that my friend Gabriel is doing that enough for the both of us." Edward walked away leaving her with Gabriel who tried hopelessly flirting with her to no avail.

Serenity frowned at Edward's retreating form. She had never been walked away from before. It flustered and infuriated her at the same time.

**November 9, 2102**

Edward was driving home all by his lonesome. Gabriel had called earlier saying he had a date and would call a taxi when he needed to get home.

Edward pulled into the driveway. There was a strange car in the driveway and some of the lights in the house were on.

He approached the house cautiously and opened the front door. Edward was startled to see the brunette from a few nights ago sitting in his living room.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked, not feeling comfortable with her presence in his house.

"We never exchanged names when we first met. I'm Serenity and I'm told you are Edward?" Edward nodded. "I'm just waiting on your housemate to finish changing so can go on our own date." Serenity was hoping to see a flash of jealousy in Edward's eyes, but none came. She stared at him a few seconds before giving an arrogant sniff and thinking about how much of an ignorant man he was.

Gabriel walked into the room just as Serenity's cell phone started ringing. She went to the front porch to answer it.

"You know she's just using you, right?" Edward asked Gabriel as he lint brushed his black shirt.

"I know." Gabriel said nonchalantly. "It's still fun going to clubs with a pretty girl on your arm even if she could care less about me." Gabriel just barely finished his sentence before Serenity came back inside. "Who called?"

"My family," Serenity sighed as she picked up her purse. "They are worried about me so they are coming to visit me tomorrow."

**This story is starting to grow to its closing. I find the next chapter's title humorous. Review and I'll let ya see it. **


	30. Explosion, Drugs, Guns, AND a Car Chase!

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege of owning this story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

**Chapter 29:** Explosion, Drugs, Guns, AND a Car Chase!?! Shit this story has everything.

November 9, 2102

The steering wheel purred beneath Alice's fingers in the early morning hours of the day as she started the car. The little car held so much power that it excited Alice even though she held so much more.

She pulled out of the driveway, already breaking the speed limit before she even hit the street. Rosalie's car followed behind her at the same pace.

The drive wasn't going to be a long one, but it was still long enough that the Cullen family didn't feel like running to Serenity's residence.

Alice looked at Jasper as she was driving. He was reading peacefully in the passenger's seat. Carlisle was sitting directly behind her with his eyes closed while Esme was beside him. With just a glance in Esme's direction Alice could see the distant look in her eyes. It was the look she had tried to hide since Edward disappeared to their family.

Rosalie passed Alice's car. In Alice's wondering thoughts her speed had slowly dropped, (almost to the speed limit), and Rosalie had grown impatient.

Alice let her keep the lead. It didn't really matter; they were both going to the same place anyways.

Alice's mind began to wander again as a few miles passed beneath the polysynthetic tires of the modern age. She started thinking about Serenity and how they had found her.

She had been just as blood crazed and animalistic as her red eyed brethren when they first met. Serenity had been moving through the forest at an alarming rate towards a rural city where the Cullen family where currently taking residence. Luckily, the Cullens had met up with Serenity before she could reach the city.

Serenity had attacked them the second she thought they were going to steal even one drop of precious blood from her prey, first going after Rosalie. Emmett would have ripped Serenity apart for hurting her if Carlisle hadn't stepped in. He made her see their reason, their way of life, and the sin she was committing with every human life she took.

Her weaning of human blood had been harder than Jasper's. There had been many missteps and mistakes on her part, although she tried. Many years the Cullen family helped Serenity with her control until she thought she had gained it. In an attempt to prove her control Serenity had moved a few states away and had submerged herself in human company.

The trouble with Serenity's grand plan started yesterday. Alice's visions of her were starting to blur. There were moments when they were completely blank. Alice didn't know the source of these distortions of the future, but when she told Carlisle he had immediately urged the family to see that she was well.

Alice sped up. The day was staring to brighten and she had not taken into consideration of the non-inclement weather. They were growing increasingly close to Serenity's apartment.

A blue car drove past them, almost going as fast as they were. Alice's eyes went wide and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. In a sudden jerking motion of the hands Alice made a screeching U-turn.

Carlisle's eyes wrenched open and everyone in the car looked at Alice, startled. From the other car Rosalie made a swift turn and followed her. Alice gave no reason to the sudden change of direction and followed steadily behind the blue car.

"What are you doing, Alice?" Carlisle asked in his standard calm voice. She sped up.

"Didn't you see him?" Alice's voice was semi-hysterical. Her grip on the steering wheel was smashing it into nothing. Jasper tried to calm her down, but she didn't want to be calmed down. Esme came out of her daze.

"See what?" Her voice was still a bit hazy. Rosalie started honking at Alice.

"See-see, Edward!" Esme's eyes widened then turned black.

"Don't be ridiculous." Esme scolded Alice like the little child she once was hundreds of years ago. "Turn this car around right now. Serenity needs our help. We don't have time for any of your little fantasies!" Esme shouted, referring to Alice's visions.

Jasper growled at Esme. He did not like anyone doubting Alice's ability to foresee.

"Don't shout at my wife!" Carlisle was about to get involved, but then Jasper's voice changed from one of anger to a low croon as he turned to Alice. "Honey, please turn the car back around. You are starting to scare the human in the car in front of us. I'm sure your eyes just fooled you and it was nothing." Jasper swept a piece of hair out of her eyes and Alice swatted his hand away.

"I know what I saw and it definitely wasn't a vision. Edward is in the car in front of us, not ten meters away!" Alice sped up and swerved onto the wrong side of the two way street, nearly missing the blue car. She pulled up along side it and Esme gasped.

"I don't believe it." Esme felt like crying for joy at the sight of her lost son. He looked different, yet she still recognized him.

From the other car, Edward kept switching from glaring at the vampires to watching the road in front of him. He sped his car up trying to escape his pursuers. Alice floored the gas pedal and cut off Edward's car, before hitting the brake. Edward slammed down on his brakes too, but his human reflexes were too slow. He still rammed into the back of Alice's car.

A groan was heard from Edward's car and the faint smell of blood filled the air. Alice was the first one out of the car as she zoomed to Edward's and pulled him out. Edward had a gash on his forehead, but other than that, he was unharmed. Alice engulfed him in a hug, twirling him around. A loud popping noise was heard as one of his arms broke under Alice's death grip. Alice gasped and Edward shook the small woman off of him while cradling his arm.

"Are you-" Alice sentence was bit off.

"Get off me, you! What, are you crazy? You could have killed me!" Edward whipped out his cell phone with his good arm and started dialing. Alice looked at him confused as the rest of her family started filing out of their cars.

"Maybe I should look at your arm." Carlisle stepped forward with his arms outstretched like a man approaching a wild animal.

"Stay away from me." Edward hissed as he fumbled with his phone.

"Do you not recognize us, Edward?" Alice asked in a perplexed voice. Edward paused right before he typed in the last digit, in surprise.

"Of course I don't know you. I've never seen you-" Edward hesitated in his speech and his cell phone fell to the ground. "How did you know my name?"

"He doesn't recognize us, Carlisle." Esme sank to the cold ground. Carlisle grew closer to Edward as his concern intensified.

Edward was still cradling his arm. Another loud crack was heard as his bone reconnected with its other half, mending itself. He let his arm fall to his side. Carlisle's eyes were slightly wide, not ever seeing a human heal that fast before.

"Edward, don't you remember anything?" Edward didn't respond. Instead he picked up his phone and started heading back to his car. "You have to remember something!" Carlisle shouted. "Me, Esme, the rest of your family! Bella! Please don't tell me you have forgotten about Bella." Something in Carlisle's words made Edward stop before he could reach his car.

"You people are crazy." Edward started walking again and was nearly to his car.

"You couldn't have forgotten us or Bella. You still love her, even if you can't remember it. That's why we left you in that city, not because you wanted to pay for some fabricated sin." Edward paused yet again right before giving up.

"How do you know about the city and what does Bella have to do with any of this?" Edward had a firm grip on his car keys, just in case.

"We know about the city because we were there when you broke into it to find Bella, the only woman you've ever loved."

"That-that's just ridiculous. I have never even met Bella in my life, let alone been in love with her." Edward wanted to leave, but his body wasn't allowing him to move. His words sounded false in his own ears.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Jasper asked with a knowing smile. "You know you've lost something, or should I say someone, and just can't remember it. You love her, Edward. The same way I love Alice, Emmett loves Rosalie, and Carlisle loves Esme. You know all of these things, you just can't remember them." Edward's hand swept through his hair in a frustrated motion as he began to doubt himself.

"I-" Edward started, but he didn't know what to say.

"We can prove it to you, Edward." Jasper was at the peak of his persuasiveness as he pulled out his wallet and showed him a picture of their whole family peacefully sitting together. "And about Bella, I'm sure your love for her will flood to the forefront of your mind the second you speak to her." Jasper said as a plan to break back into the underground city cemented itself into his thoughts.

**Crappiest day of my life.**


	31. A Flash of Conclusions

**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege of owning this story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels. Of course, I do own this plotline.**

Chapter 30: A Flash of Conclusions

November 13, 2102

Trees flew past Edward at an unearthly speed. He was sure that if he moved his hand one inch off of Jasper's back it would be snapped of by one of the passing trees. He glanced at the other the other five speeding objects. They were spread out and the only one he could clearly see through the foggy night and burred trees was Alice.

Alice's head snapped to the side when she felt eyes on her. She gave Edward and Jasper a kind smile before turning back around. Her sight was clouded over for a few seconds as she saw a glimpse into the future about Serenity. Once the Cullen family and Edward had decided to seek out Bella Serenity's future cleared up, although there were still hazy splotches randomly thrown into her future.

Emmett and Rosalie had stayed behind to make sure she was alright and to watch over Gabriel.

Gabriel, now that was a name that sent chills down Alice' spine. He was alright personality wise, but something about his looks made her wary. That feeling was only worsened when Carlisle had told Gabriel that Edward and Bella were once lovers and they needed his help to get back into the city.

Gabriel at first had stood motionlessly in shock before avidly denying it. When no one was persuaded by him he was silent once more before a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He made a dash to the kitchen and Emmett followed him. He heard Gabriel mumble something about warning someone as he reached for the telephone. Emmett smashed the phone before he could use it. They had to lock him up to keep him from trying anything else.

The Cullen family didn't know what to make of his actions.

Alice sighed and focused on Edward's future, but she came up with a blank. It worried her and she glanced at him again just to make sure he was really there. He was.

He looked so different compared to her memories of him. There was a slight pink tinge to his skin that gave him a look of youth and life that he never had before. His face had the shadow of a beard that used to be perfectly shaven. She could hear his heart racing and adrenalin pumping as he held onto Jasper's back with all his strength, strength that was nothing compared to what it used to be.

What really surprised her was the slight smile that played on his lips at the thrill of Jasper's speed.

Alice hadn't seen him give a real smile since he left Bella. It made her doubt if what they were doing was the right thing. Even if Edward did get his memories back it didn't mean everything would come out roses. It didn't mean that Bella would take him back or that they'd gain the family member they had lost so long ago.

'What if he remembers Bella and she pushes him away again? He'll be pushed into sad awareness, probable worse than the first time he lost her. Is it right for us to take away the ignorant happiness that he lives in right now?' Alice's thought swirled around making her doubt grow. Her uncertainty was easily dashed out when Jasper sent her his own content mood.

Alice saw Carlisle and Esme slow down in front of her and she followed suit until they were all in a fast walk. She could see the large gate to the underground city through the ever thickening fog. The gate's security had been beefed up since the last time they had paid it a visit. Large, thick metal doors had been put up. It would easily keep humans out, but not vampires.

Carlisle tore down the door making a loud sheering noise. There was a ridiculous amount of cheering and noise coming from the underground city and none of the humans excluding Edward heard the door's removal.

Dread started to pour into Edward at the sight of the gaping hole. He wanted to turn back and go home, but his body wouldn't move as Jasper ran down the spirally dark stairwell and into the underground city.

The smell of good food engulfed Edward when Jasper finally set him down on the floor of the underground city. The smell was coming from the center of the city and he could hear the cheering that the vampires had picked up earlier. It seemed that there was some sort of holiday going on that everyone was celebrating near the middle of the city.

"Happy mood." Jasper mumbled to himself as he took the first steps forward. Edward felt an odd sense of déjà vu as he followed behind him. His head was bowed down, not really wanting to see the city.

As they walked the Cullens were on full alert. They only had to hide in an alleyway twice when a human walked down the same street they were on.

The cheering became louder and Edward glanced between buildings seeing people hopping around and throwing flowers as they walked closer to the center of the city. They finally found the large crowd making all the noise after more cautious walking.

There was a parade of sorts going on. Edward craned his neck to see while keeping a safe distance, but all he could see was the back of people's heads. Jasper motioned for him to climb on his back again as the other Cullens scaled one of the buildings to get a better view.

"What are they celebrating?" Edward asked as Jasper started up the stone building with him on his back.

"I have no idea. From what I can hear it has something to do with an anniversary of something of importance just like most holidays. I can hear Gabriel's name being mentioned. People are asking where he is. Do you know if he was going to be traveling here sometime?" Edward didn't answer. His eyes were pulled to the mob of people.

They were all circled around a procession floats. None of the floats were really that grand, yet they were still amusing. People were pushing each other forward to get a better view, but there was still a safe distance between any people and the floats.

Edward's eyes were drawn to the float that was in the front, leading the whole festivity. Just as the float was turning a corner he caught a glance of someone he once knew. His mouth went dry and his lips formed her name without thinking.

Edward felt himself lurch and fall to his knees. Just the sight of a woman he couldn't even remember seeing in his life awoke so many emotions, hurt, want, regret, but most of all love. No memories resurfaced, just emotions.

Jasper eyed him, feeling what was going on inside him as Esme panicked at his sudden change of stance. She helped him up.

When he was stably on his feet again he ran to the edge of the building trying to get another glimpse of Bella, but large houses were blocking his view.

"Do you believe me now?" Jasper whispered in a low tone. His hand was hovering over Edward's shoulder just incase he fell. Edward took a step back from the edge of the building and Jasper's hand dropped. Edward nodded.

"I need to talk to her."

* * *

It had been eleven hours. Carlisle could tell without checking his watch. Countless years of experience gave him the ability to just know what time it was.

The sun was setting and they still had yet to find Bella by herself. There was always someone there. None of the Cullens mentioned to Edward about the man that was hanging off of Bella's arm, kissing her occasionally. If he wasn't at her side there was a woman and two men there.

Carlisle recognized the man on Bella's arm as the same one Edward had attacked years ago.

Bella mentioned something about feeding the cat. She left her many companions and went upstairs to the library. They seemed to understand that feed the cat was code for being alone.

Carlisle woke Edward and alerted the rest of his family. Edward was groggy, but when Carlisle pointed to Bella sitting alone he was immediately on alert. His heart rate picked up and a small sheen of sweat covered his upper lip as anxiety became his predominant feeling.

Breaking into the room was easy enough for the Cullens. Bella didn't notice the small scratching noise of the window being unlocked from the outside or its creak as it slowly opened. What she did notice though was the small breeze that sent a chill down her spine and made her pull her blanket closer. The movement of a shadow caught her eye, but she chose not to react to it, instead opting to flip the page of the book she was reading and letting her hand slowly move towards a sharp letter opener.

Edward glanced around the small library looking anywhere, but Bella. All the other Cullens had abandoned him, going just out of hearing range thinking it should be a private moment for the two of them. Of course, they had not told Edward that they he would be alone so when he noticed their departure the small part of courage that was left in him died.

He took a step forward towards the beautiful woman sitting with her back towards him reading a very thick book. His breath faltered as he took in the warm scent that seemed to surround her.

Edward took another step and Bella's hair fanned out as she swung around without warning. The stainless steel letter opener was positioned in her hand ready to strike. It fell do the ground with a muffled thump against the Persian rug as Bella took in the sight before her. The only noise in the room as the two once lovers took in each other's appearance was the soft swoosh of the blanket slide off Bella's lap.

"Bella." Edward said in a soft whisper as vague memories started to form in his mind. He tried to remember if she always looked this beautiful.

Bella's expression slowly changed from one of shock to anger then comprehension. She picked up the letter opener and blanket before sitting down and motioning for Edward to take the seat across from here.

Edward took it, not know what else to do. He stared at Bella as she meticulously folded the blanket and placed the letter opener in its rightful place. She was using the time to think.

A memory flashed into Edward's mind of Bella having the same facial expression as she tried to figure out a particularly hard math equation.

"What are you doing here, Edward?" Bella didn't look at him as she asked. Her eyes were trained on the folded blanket in her lap as her hands smoothed over invisible wrinkles. Edward's eyes followed the movement.

"I'm not really sure." Bella's eyebrows went up minutely and she leaned back into her seat examining him. "I've lost something. My memories, they're all missing." Bella didn't show any reaction to his words. She reached over to the end table and picked up a cup of light brown liquid. She swirled it around watching tealeaves rise to the surface. They both sat silently for five minutes straight.

"That makes things complicated." Edward snorted at Bella's statement of the obvious. "So you don't even remember me?" Edward nodded. "Than you should leave. There is nothing for you down here." Bella couldn't look at him.

"I love you though," A vision of plump lips whispering the same words flashed through his mind, "apparently." He added on.

"Apparently? What a pleasant way to put it. I assume someone has been whispering into your ear about an inconsequential former life." There was a cold look in Bella's eyes as she sipped her tea. "You really don't remember anything?"

"Not a thing, but every moment I spend down here it becomes clearer." Edward gave Bella a sheepish grin. Her eyes narrowed and she abruptly stood up, heading for the door. "Bella!" Edward followed after her and grabbed her wrist before she could reach the door. He swung her around, but the motion was cut short when he saw tears in her eyes.

"Just leave, Edward. It would be better for everyone if you were just gone." Bella ripped her arm out of his iron grip and stood motionless. Her arms wrapped around her chest protectively.

"Why, why do you want me to leave?" Another image stole Edward's eyesight as he saw the same lips as before whisper 'You're leaving?' in a distressed tone. His heart quivered. "They told me you loved me." Bella's eyes refused to soften as a million images of Bella whispering 'I love you' ran through Edward's mind.

"That's right I loved you, loved as in past tense. I have someone who I love now; I actually have two, a lover and a son and lots of people who care for me dearly. There is nothing you could offer me that I don't already have. You are useless here and should have just stayed away. Go back to playing vampires with the rest of your 'family'." Bella was being needlessly cruel, making Edward shudder.

"I love you, Bella. I can feel it. I know that and you do too." Bella let out an indignant huff.

"You know nothing. You don't love me. You've never loved anyone in your whole existence." Bella's arms clutched tighter at her middle and she attempted to control her breathing.

"I love you. I may not know why or how, but I know I love you." Edward placed his hands on either side of Bella's face, trying to get her to see his way. She brushed his hands away and more tears began to stream downwards. Tears, so many memories of tears came back to Edward. All her tears.

"Do you even understand why we aren't together? Can you even comprehend why I'm with someone else?" Bella paused and her voice dropped to a whisper. Another memory of a meadow. "Do you even remember how we 'broke up'?" Edward's breathing stopped and his mind seemed to draw a blank.

He let out a feeble no and the fire in Bella's eyes reignited. A fire from his past life.

"You left me. Your whole family left me all at once without warning." The tears ran freely now. So many tears. "You said that you never loved and that you were sick of playing human with me." Bella's voice was full of venom. "I was emotionally numb for a year before I got angry.

"You know I once considered killing myself for you? I was just that fucked up and it was all because of you. I was self destructive, drinking, smoking, and anything else I could get my hands on.

"I was so furious at everything and everyone. If I hadn't met the people of this city I'm sure my death would have been a violent one that would make the headlines." Bella felt like her chest was on fire. She wanted to scream and shout. She wanted to hit Edward while at the same time just roll into a ball and cry. Nothing was making sense.

"Bella. . ." Edward was at a loss for words. He had no idea that he had told her all those things to protect her from the monster he truly was.

"You broke me, but these people put me back together." Bella turned around and opened the door. "Leave Edward, and don't ever return." Her voice drifted off slowly as the door shut silently behind her.

Edward stood in front of the door feeling a great sense of loss. A few stray tears ran down his face. Something was unfathomably wrong to him about the whole situation. His mind wasn't letting him remember a key part of his past life. A past life in which he lied to keep the one he loved away and safe. A past lie that ended up making the only one he could ever love not love him back.

**Oh God, it's too perfect. I don't even know what to do with such a perfect ending. Some of you may disagree, but damn it I love it. Review for the love of beating one's own goals.**


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